Desires 2: Quest of Alabaan
by DogDrawler
Summary: This is the sequel to Desires. Kate's son, Rocky, has run away from the Western Pack, desperate to find meaning in his life after discovering the truth of the past. He comes across a lone wolf named Alabaan who guides him to a life without rules. While Kate is desperate to find Rocky, Humphrey has grown estranged. Which side is right? Which side will last? (Feat. collab OCs)
1. Chapter 1: My Everything

Chapter 1: My Everything **(written on November 14th, 2018)**

 **During midnight...**

 _"Ughhh... yeah... you know me good. No... No, don't look away... Eyes on me. Ughhhhh... yeah, you son of a bitch... You got it good."_

 _"Well, baby, you work off me well."_

 _"That's not all. You're also one sexy slut. Such a sexy slut you are."_

 _"Hehe, say it again, baby? I love it when you call me that."_

 _"You're the best sexiest fucking slut if I ever saw one. Ahhh, yeah... The way you licked my cock was so extraordinary."_

 _"Careful, or I might do it again."_

 _"Don't tempt me, Vyni. My tongue has been waiting anxiously to drag against the pink gates of FUCKING hell."_

 _"Ohhh... hmmm... how 'bout you take me with you?"_

 _"Oh, I'll do more than that. I'll give you my everything."_

 _"Your everything?"_

 _"My everything..."_

With the cold breath of Alabaan sliding down her chest like a dense fog, the she-wolf grew aroused and moaned like it was her last. Her nipples rubbed his paws and vice-versa with every thrust as intense as a tree plummeting to the Earth. So much heat was in the mountainside den. The tone inside contrasted the snow falling outside on the dark treacherous slopes. They kept their legs tangled together and their eyes in a trance-like dance. The wind was howling loud, but their howls of pleasure were discrete. He wanted him. He wanted her. All focus was on each other.

They were a different type of wolves, halfway between a pack wolf and a lone wolf. They were nomadic, wolves who never stood still for long, looking for adventure and chaos, but they all had one place they would always come back to, the closest thing to a home in their world. It was a harsh life, but it was a flavorful life. Couples of this way mated quickly and almost never took care of their young for long, especially in the mountains where, although there was superb protection, food was scarce and the weather unbearable.

Vyni, however, was not a she-wolf who wanted to actually mate, but the male cradling her tried desperately to edge her on. Unlike others, she had a bit of a conscience. She wanted fun, not responsibility or guilt. Plus, no one would get with her if she was pregnant.

 _"C'mon, bitch... let's fuck right here right now,"_ Alabaan whispered directly to her left ear. _"I know you like the feeling of my dick inside your pussy."_

 _"Baby, let's not do quite that. Just fuck my tailhole."_

 _"No,"_ he replied sternly. _"I wanna fuck the hole that matters."_

 _"Why?"  
_

 _"I just need to."_

 _"But baby_ — _"_

 _"Don't 'but baby' me. Let's do it."_

In the back of her head, she wanted to do it knowing how much unfiltered pleasure she would receive with his yummy fluids flowing through her, but it clearly didn't sit right with her. She didn't want to get pregnant from a random stranger and deal with an expecting pup. The she-wolf knew the right time to put her paw down was now, and for the first time since she met this light grey wolf, she stood up away from his warm forelimbs and titillating lips.

"I'm serious. I can't do it. I'm sorry."

The grey wolf seemed appalled at first, but he then gave a smile and laughed.

"Oh... I understand... but something tells me you won't be able to resist these!" In a second, he dug into the floor and brought out a pawful of fermented berries. Vyni instantly looked at them with a seductive gaze.

"Oh, wow... I knew something smelled fishy. Wow, you are soooo bad," she giggled.

"Have any that you like." Alabaan grinned. He wanted her to stay as long as he needed her too. He knew too well the berries were too tempting. He watched her come to him and take in a huge mouthful of the powerful fruits.

It didn't take long for the berries to take effect. Vyni became so drunk that she could barely stand. Her tail was wavering while her eyes numbingly drifted to the walls. It was perfect.

"I have to say, daddy, you're better than I imagined. Oooo... wee... yeah motherfucker, let's fuckin' uhh... man, let's have a night together, no? Let's go outside and warm the air with your hot dick in my mouth."

"Ohh, yes, but I want you, babe. I want to be inside you first. I want you to ride me. I want you to feel me. I want you to have such a feeling you will never forget."

"My... I like that... but didn't I say I didn't want to mate? Oh, fuck. I don't remember. I'm so fucked up. Fuck. Shit. I just want to have fucking... fun. Fuck with a giant dick... giant slick dick in me... fuck... what am I? Shit, I remember you said I was the sexiest slut. Yeah, damn right... DAMN RIGHT. They don't get it, dawg, motherfucking bitches tryna steal my position like no you ain't. I'm fucked up, and I know it! Here, mate me bitch, so... so... so... we can have super fucking pups to rule the fucking world! Fuck yeah... I mean FUCK YEAH. Make me so pregnant 'till my belly explodes!"

The drunk she-wolf bent over in front of him and moved her tail out of the way so he could mount her. Alabaan grew excited and saw his golden opportunity ahead of him. He was ready to finally get what he wanted. He grabbed onto her waist and began to thrust into her, but before real things could get underway, an unexpected howl entered the den.

"What?! Who could that possibly be?!"

It was a call for help that was definitely close-by. Right after he dismounted Vyni, two wolves came into view outside the den. One was a reddish-orange male. The other was a perfectly white female. They were approaching the cave.

"Hey, I'm a little busy here!" yelled Alabaan.

"We're sorry!" said the female. "We kinda have no choice. We're lost."

"Well, I need you two to get lost! I ain't here to deal with your problems! Go find another den!"

"Sir, we just need a place to stay for the night," said the male. "The mountains are the only guaranteed safe place from Rogues, and the snow is relentless. Please! We'll do anything!"

"Anything, huh?"

The couple nodded desperately.

"Hmm... Fine. Sleep in the back, and I mean the _very_ back."

"Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Who are you two anyway?"

"I'm Garth," said the male, "and this is my girlfriend Lilly."

"Where did you guys come from?"

"We're from deep in the Valley," said Lilly.

"I assume from a pack? No wild wolf looks as well-groomed as you guys."

"Yes, from a pack, but that's our old life. We're in a new one."

"I see..."

The two visitors entered the den that lay on the cliffside of the mountain. They passed by Vyni and rested in a small notch in the back. They continued to shiver from the intense cold.

"Do you know where we are?" Garth asked.

"You're in the territory of the Black Mountain Pack... or what's left of them. Most of the pack died off long ago, but many of us wild ones use the abandoned dens scattered across the range."

"Wild ones?"

"Yes. We are packless. No one fucking tells us what to do. We're in charge of ourselves. This is a lawless land... You wolves don't really belong here, but I've been feeling nice lately."

"We can't thank you enough. We promise to not bother you, and we'll leave as soon as we are able," Lilly assured. The grey wolf examined her closely. She looked pretty attractive.

"Well... if you guys wanna stay a little longer, you can... just until you two are well fed."

"Really?"

"Why not."

"I don't know what to say."

"Just as long as you guys are obedient... really obedient..." Alabaan looked back at Vyni who was throwing up profusely on a pile of snow outside.


	2. Chapter 2: All a Lie

Chapter 2: All a Lie **(written on November 20th, 2018)**

The pack leader's den was bleak and dreary. The Alpha, Hutch, sat next to his dying chief. His tear-drenched eyes were closed while he clenched his lips. Eve, who laid closely as one could to the male wolf, quivered at the sight of her mate's second-in-command attempting to hold back his weeping. She made sure Winston was covered nose to tail in the most comfortable pelts. Any way to make his final moments peaceful and smooth was worth it to her.

The last few moons had been a nightmare. Ever since Lilly's disappearance, he had fallen into a depression that consumed his life. Lilly was his precious Omega daughter. While Kate was his serious take-charge side, Lilly was his soft playful side. He simply couldn't function knowing she had run off with the Eastern wolf, Garth. Despite reports indicating Garth and his daughter had fallen in love, the fact that she never said goodbye or anything led Winston to believe she was kidnapped. It didn't seem normal for her to disappear, especially with a wolf from another pack. Nonetheless, without her, Winston would spend many moons being constantly stressed which eventually took a toll on his health. Numerous searches. The same answer: "Nowhere to be seen or smelled." He would go weeks stuck in his den, sometimes not eating. His presence in the pack became so dull and almost non-existent that some younger wolves forgot they had a pack leader. In time, a sickness caught up to him, destined to finally end his long reign. Eve was saddened by Lilly too, but she didn't want her mate to go this way. Not this way. It wasn't right for one of the most revered wolves in the Valley.

But by the end of the morning, Winston died a broken wolf surrounded by his closest friends and family including Kate and Humphrey. The Alpha couple decided to head back home to their young to deliver the news. Not just that Winston had passed away, but that their son, Rocky, will succeed him when he graduates Alpha School in the spring. The two pups had grown up so fast, and it was almost that time when they will be ready to be on their own.

When Kate and Humphrey had made it to their den, neither of their two offspring were present, but it was optimal since the couple wanted some time to process what was happening before them.

"I can't believe this is it," said Kate. "It doesn't feel real, but our lives are gonna completely change."

"Tell me about it. And we've been through a lot of shit."

"I just don't know how we're gonna tell the pups. We never really told them how important they are to the pack."

"What makes everyone so sure they are super important?" asked Humphrey. "There isn't anyone else? Why can't they live normal lives?"

"This is serious, honey. Rocky has Winston's blood. He's the _only_ heir whether we like or not. I'm a she-wolf. It can't be me. Rocky will be the next pack leader, and his sister will be the highest-ranking Omega."

Meanwhile, on a grassy hill nearby, Rocky and his sister, Jenny, were playing tag together by themselves. They ran in circles and leaped in the air trying to touch each other. The two wolves were inseparable. Although Rocky was energetic and hard-nosed, he had a tender side that could work with Jenny unceasingly. Rocky had grown a thick, glossy light grey coat and Jenny's white fur shined greater than ever in the plentiful snow. They laughed and joked together as they tumbled through the grass and daisies. Both were oblivious to the greater roles they were about to inherit.

"Tag! You're it!" yelled Jenny.

"Oh, no, you don't!" he replied, chuckling. He pounced a great distance with his jaws open wide. It caught her by surprise that she shrieked out of legitimate terror.

"Owww!"

"Ha! Gotcha', my prey!" Rocky clamped his mouth tightly until Jenny pushed him off.

"Hey, be careful! You were biting my neck!" she barked. She rubbed the area with her paws and saw blood stain them. "Oh, crap, I'm bleeding!" She ran to the nearest pond to check herself out. Luckily, the bites were not life-threatening. "Seriously, Rocky, you gotta chill next time! You're giving me a heart attack over here." Her brother felt ashamed and appalled at what happened.

"Oh, my gosh! I'm so sorry! I guess I got carried away."

"No kidding. It's okay, bro. Come on. It's probably time to go home anyway. I'd like to be there before they come."

"I'm so glad my substitute instructor, Samuel, gave us the day off today. How's Omega School?"

"What Omega School?"

"What?" he replied, confused.

"Exactly." Jenny nodded.

The two wolves jogged their way to their home, which was not far. The area had bigger foliage and vines would hang across the path that led straight to the den. The den itself jutted out of a stony hill covered in pleasing varieties of flowers. As the adolescents moved down the path they could see their parents having a loud conversation.

"Ughhh, this is stupid. If there's anything I regret by turning into an Alpha, it's having to abide by the stupid rules."

"It isn't in our right to make them. It's like the rule against Alphas mating with Omegas. We can't break thousands of years of tradition."

"But Kate, if it wasn't for the 'traditions,' the whole thing with the Northern Pack would've never happened, I wouldn't have had to flip ranks, and we would've had the pups we were supposed to have!"

Kate gasped at what her mate just uttered.

"Humphrey! Don't you dare talk like that! I love you, but you gotta understand that life doesn't always work as we want it to. Yes, things didn't go our way, but we got two beautiful pups, one of which is gonna be pack leader! It's different, but it should be an honor! In my father's death a rebirth. How is all this not enough for you?"

"They were beautiful pups... no doubt... but they aren't ours. They're yours. They look nothing like me. I see pieces of you in them, but no me... and on top of that, even though they are your blood they also have the blood of a disgusting criminal. You want that to be in the pack leader?"

"No... but, like I said, we don't have a choice. Besides, you, me, Matt, and my mom are the only ones who know what happened. We don't have to tell anybody."

"Tell what?!" yelled Rocky. Kate and Humphrey jumped.

"Oh, Rocky, it's just you."

"Of course, it's me! What the heck?! Grandpa Winston's dead?! I'm gonna be the pack leader?! I'M NOT YOUR SON?!"

"Hun, it's not what it looks like," said Kate.

"No, don't backtrack! We heard enough!" yelled Jenny.

"Oh, gosh... oh, gosh..." Humphrey held his head with his paws. This was the last thing he wanted to deal with.

Shocked beyond belief, Rocky sat down against the den wall. Jenny came to comfort him, but he was far from comforting. He realized in a very short amount of time that his whole life was a lie. The wolf he once played with and hugged was not his father. He began to question what fatherhood even was.

"Rocky," Kate cooed. "I know everything that you thought was forwards is backwards... but let me just say we can talk about it."

"There's nothing to fucking talk about!"

 _"Language,"_ Jenny whispered.

"NO! NO! As Dad said—OH, I'M SORRY—HUMPHREY... basically said, I don't even belong here! He's right! I'm half-Western! How could I be pack leader?! Hell, I'm trespassing in my own home! Sorry for encroaching!" Rocky stormed out the den.

"Son, wait!" said Kate. "What have we done..."

"Just let him go," Humphrey said quietly while trying to suppress his guilt. "He needs time for his mind to regroup." Kate briefly growled at her mate.

"You are not the wolf that I married..."

"I'm sorry, Kate... We should've had a plan to tell them."

"Should've told us from the beginning," Jenny muttered out of her parents' earshot. She knew more than anyone that her brother was hurting tremendously. The truth was more painful than the large puncture wound on her neck. For a minute, she even forgot she had it. The new world she entered was alien, and she was unsure to trust it. All four wolves knew nothing would be the same again. Nothing.


	3. Chapter 3: Not Welcome

Chapter 3: Not Welcome **(written on April 13th, 2019)**

It was midday, and Garth and Lilly were still resting from their long walk. Vyni was sleeping as well but in an odd position where her legs were in the air. Alabaan had just woke up from beside her and quickly pointed his eyes to the back of the den. He got up and walked to Lilly then shook her body to wake her up.

"Huh, what...?" she said sleepily. She put her paw over her eyes to block the morning light.

"Hey. Lilly, right?"

"Yes. Is something wrong?"

"Uh, no. Not at all. It's just I have some breakfast if you're hungry." Alabaan moved to the side and Lilly saw a bunch of berries sitting on the floor. She wasn't amused.

"Ohh, bitter berries. It's okay. Garth can hunt."

"With a body built like that, I don't doubt it, but good luck finding food up here. These mountains offer very little nourishment. Besides, these aren't just any old berries. They've been... altered, so to speak, to be far more flavorful and enjoyable to eat. No bitterness. Just sweetness."

"I don't know..."

"C'mon," he insisted. "It's an old family recipe. You wouldn't want to disregard my family, would ya'?"

"Heh, heh. Okay, why not."

"That's the spirit!" With his nose, Alabaan nudged the berries to Lilly. She picked them up and ate a few. To her surprise, they were definitely not bitter.

"Damn... spirits lifted. Heh, heh. I'm genuinely impressed. Your family really knows how to make their fruits."

"Thank you, Lilly."

"Um, can I eat some more? This is really good."

"Well, unfortunately, my family isn't around anymore to keep me a good supply. I need to conserve the ones I have so I can enjoy them later. Also, you wouldn't want to have too much of these little suckers. They have a strong kick to 'em."

"Oh. I see. Aw well then. I'm still a little sleepy. Thanks for awesome the berries."

"Alright. You're welcome. Please. Get yourself all the rest you need. It seems you guys still have quite a journey ahead."

"We do," Lilly replied quietly. She returned her head to the pelt. Alabaan sat nearby and watched her fall back asleep. He then eyed Garth.

" _This isn't gonna work_ ," he whispered to himself.

He then grabbed Lilly's hind legs and dragged her body around the corner out of the Alpha's view before going to work. The white she-wolf was gorgeous. Alabaan examined her body meticulously. He especially liked the fact that she was shorter than most she-wolves. The more submissive-looking they were the better. He brought down his left front paw and rubbed his sheath slowly. Secondly, he walked over her until he was standing directly above, and he spread her back legs apart. Lastly, he masturbated to the point where his red, throbbing penis emerged. He lowered himself down and was ready to give himself pleasure.

However, Garth managed to wake up at the last second and tackle him to the ground. His teeth were bared to the max.

"GET AWAY FROM HER, YOU SICK MOTHERFUCKER!"

"Ahh! What's happening?!" Alabaan yelled.

"Don't act stupid! You are well aware of what you were about to do! You're a sick motherfucker! You think you were about to have sex with my Lilly? Think again, little shit!"

"Garth or Barf or whatever your name is. I'm just having a little fun. Don't you like to have fun?"

"I like to have fun, but I'm not a sick wolf like you are. Give me a reason why I shouldn't kill you right now? Wolves like you don't even deserve to breathe the same air we breathe."

"Oh, please, Barf, give me a chance. I admit it, I'm sick, so why don't you heal me by taking your precious Omega over there and going out the den? I'm not holding you hostage."

"And let you fuck another helpless she-wolf? No way." Garth brought one of his claws to Alabaan's neck. "End of the line."

"Wait! Killing me, that's fine and all, but you won't be able to wake your girlfriend."

"What? What are you talking about?" The Alpha turned around to see Lilly still sleeping. He got off of him and ran to Lilly's side.

"What did you do to her?!"

"She's been put in a deep sleep where she can only be awoken by certain circumstances."

"What circumstances?"

"Well, before you tackled me, I was in the process of replicating those conditions."

"What?! You're lying!" he growled.

"Sure, Barf. How 'bout you kill me and see for yourself if I am. Even right now, our barking isn't waking her up. She will stay in that state until she rots and fades to bones and dust!"

"YOU MOTHERFUCKER!" Garth ran into Alabaan, pushing him outside the den and off the cliffside.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

Garth collapsed on the ground after realizing what he just did. Alabaan was presumably the only one who knew how to wake Lilly.

"No..." But then a scent reached his nose. He started sniffing the ground and found some berries that had Lilly's scent. He noticed some of them were bitten off and that Lilly had some berry juice on her lips. "This has something to do with it I bet." He looked at Vyni who wasn't sleeping the same way as Lilly, but her face was drenched in the berry blue. "If he can't provide answers, she will..."


	4. Chapter 4: Campfire

Chapter 4: Campfire **(written on November 10th, 2019)**

Rocky shivered like mad. Spring was not far, but the winter still had a firm grip. The snow was thick enough to find its way in every crevice of his toes for every step he took. He didn't know where he was going. He just wanted to be away from his parents. He wanted to be away from the reminders that his entire life was never supposed to happen. It seemed from his parents' conversation that he was some accident from Kate's past. His parents were going to have pups together, but fate had other plans.

He was furious because, for his entire life, he was fed a lie, that he was a full Western, that he was meant to be. From the looks of it, Humphrey didn't give two tails about him, and any resemblance of care merely existed to ease his mother's mind. If his pseudo father thought he was nothing, why would Rocky think of anything more of himself?

He had to escape and escape he did. In a random direction, he went. It didn't matter. His parents were high-ranking Alphas of the Western Pack, part of the top tier of Western society who represented everyone else. If they didn't accept him, the Western Pack was no good to him. He didn't know where the mysterious half of his genetics came from, but since it came from a 'disgusting criminal,' he couldn't depend on it to boost his credentials. He was nobody, he believed. It seemed even the weather was scorning him. The howling winds were testing his patience.

"SON OF A BITCH!" he screamed before swinging one of his forelimbs into a tree. "Ahh... fuck..." The bark was unusually sharp. The blood already began to freeze along his arm. It became numb and was as unpleasant as being stabbed by icicles. The freezing of his tears was already bad enough. Was there any hope?

Indeed there was. In the distance, warmth could be felt. A welcoming glow greeted him from the blurry horizon, wavering gracefully. It couldn't be what he thought it was, could it? How could warmth persist? Around the flames a group of wolves encircled.

"What do you make of him, June?" said the male Alpha of the group, an unkempt white wolf whose eyes didn't share the same color. He looked at his companion beside him after they saw the unknown wolf approaching.

"Another so-called lost one I bet. This winter's tough. Creates a lot of hopelessness and tempts wolves into making their environment match their emotions, so they can attract attention and unnecessary sympathy," she scoffed. She was another white wolf but had patches of brown scattered around her body.

"Be nice," he replied. "Even whiners are individuals. Everybody craves a mind at rest. We're even willing to suffer to get it."

"No doubt this one will brood. They all do eventually."

"Here he comes."

"Hi," Rocky greeted.

"Afternoon," said June.

"Umm... I'm sorry to intrude. It's just uhh... you know..."

"Cut the shit," said the Alpha. "I'm Jack, and that's my little Omega sister, June."

"Shut the fuck up. I'm not little," June chided.

"Geez, who pulled your tail, sis?" He turned back to the newcomer. "Excuse her. Sisters, am I right? Anyway, we welcome all those who feel lost no matter how trivial the reason. There's no amount of surface area the fire can't shine."

"Is that what this is?" Rocky replied. "A fire?"

"How old are you?" he asked.

"About a year."

"Parents make you mad?"

"Somewhat." The young wolf tilted his head to one side.

"Here. Sit." The male Alpha and his female companion scooched over. Rocky sat down on the drenched grass from the melted snow and enjoyed the dancing light show in front of him. "Now tell me what's on your mind, kiddo. I assume you didn't come here to distribute meat, though that would be nice. You're gonna tell us how you're feeling anyway, so just please spill it to skip over the tedium clichés."

"Well... I'm a mistake."

"Aren't we all?" said Jack.

"No, I mean _mistake_ mistake. I just found out that my father isn't really my father. My mom, I believe, was... made unclean, so to speak." The two white wolves were shocked. It was not the kind of backstory they were expecting.

"Oh... yeah, that's something else," Jack said with a dumbfounded and worrisome look.

"And they expect me to become pack leader now! I don't even belong to the pack. I am nature's footnote."

"Pack leader? Are you royalty?" said June.

"I guess," said Rocky.

"Who are you?" asked Jack.

"I'm Rocky."

"Wait! You're one of Kate and Humphrey's pups!"

"How do you know that?"

"You're in the Northern Pack," replied June. "Everybody here knows about you."

"Why?" said Rocky

"Because," said the Alpha, "our pack leader held your mom hostage when we faced a famine. Your dad was an Omega who tried to get her back. Their relationship impressed Matt."

"Oh, that. I've heard too many times about how my parents fell in love. Honestly wouldn't surprise me if it's dramatized. You know, they would tell me I was created out of that love. What bullshit!"

"So what are you going to do now?" asked June.

"I don't know. I'm not going back to Westen Pack. That's for sure."

"Well, we're pretty down-to-Earth wolves, wouldn't you say, June?" Jack admitted. "If I was in your paws, I would take being pack leader in a heartbeat. Especially for the North, I would make some changes 'round here, maybe share more of the meat supply to the lower class. But I'm not you, and the only thing I would say about your situation is: be yourself. You're just about old enough to control your own destiny. You don't even need to listen to me. Do what your heart tells you to do. Trust me. Doubt can stymie happiness."

"Thanks," said Rocky. "For the record, I am listening to you."

"Ha, ha! I'll take it," Jack laughed.

"However," Rocky continued, "I'm not going to be pack leader. I'm going to go as far away as possible. How does one escape the Valley?"

"Beyond the Valley? You're not serious, are you? It's lawless out there. Rogues everywhere."

"What are Rogues?"

"Savages from Banff National Park. They come from far south and take whatever they want and kill whatever they want. They raid the Valley constantly 'cause their leader and founder was banished from the Eastern Pack long ago. No one knows his real name, but they simply call him 'King.' Please don't be insane and leave the protection of the packs."

"What happened to following my heart?"

"I want you to live too, son."

"Well, at least the Rouges are living their best life getting everything they want. Seems nice."

"Envying the Rouges? Accepting that as a quality is not for the faint of heart."

"I'm letting my heart speak, Jack. Consider it my expression of gratitude for advising me to do so."

"Fine. Fine. Heh, heh. If you wanna kill yourself."

"Now tell me. How do I get out of here?"

"I know a wolf. His name is Shadow. Black and red fur. Scar over one of his eyes. You can find him at Shadow Forest. He's like the local leader of the area. He's had quite a past, so he has some connections. He's the only wolf I know who could help you exit the Valley safely."

"Thank you, Jack. Can you take me to him? I don't where Shadow Forest is."

"It's on the fringes of the Western Pack, far away from ninety-nine percent of the population. I'm a Northerner; I can't just walk into Western territory. Same with June. But that she-wolf over there..." The white Alpha pointed to a wolf who was sitting on the other side of the flames. "She's a Western. She could help." Rocky stood up and looked around the fire to see her facing away from the heat. He looked at her back and recognized her. He gasped.

"If I turn around," she growled, "and see that it's actually you... pray I don't rip your dick off..."

"Holy, shit!" Rocky exclaimed. "Dani..."

* * *

 **Credit: Jack and June are OCs by Itsmario123 a.k.a. ThatGuyNamedGuy. I have permission to use his OCs, but all rights are reserved for him.**

 **PM me if you want to submit an OC for this collaboration story. It's still not too late.**


	5. Chapter 5: Shadow Forest

Chapter 5: Shadow Forest **(written from November 24th to November 26th, 2019)**

"Are you still mad?" said Rocky.

"What do you think, stupid?"

"Sorry... I guess it has been a while since we last met. How are you doin'?" Dani sighed in response.

"Somewhat okay. The Northerners are nice."

"Do wolves still give you weird looks?"

"Of course, they do. It never ends. It's always like, 'hey, look! Look at it! Look at it!' The world is so cruel. I thought running away would solve my problem but it didn't. You took advantage of me... And I have no idea what part of my brain is allowing me to be nice to you right now, but you're awful. I want you to know that. Nowadays, I just accept wolves pointing their forepaws at me, framing me as a freak, and maybe because of that, I have grown a thicker skin. Maybe because I've given up appeasing the worst the world has to offer, I can stand being next to someone I hate. Surprisingly I can stand being next to you... for now anyway. I'm contemplating whether or not I should slit your throat."

"Will a million sorrys suffice?"

"The only thing you deserve is a million fuck yous."

"Wow. You sure have changed." Rocky had not seen Dani since earlier in the winter. Danielle was once a very shy and timid wolf from his pack. Confidence was never one of her attributes. A wolf's first winter is the most dramatic period in their life. In three moons, they change from pups to adults. Spring hadn't arrived quite yet, but the changes were crystal clear. It was especially dramatic for Dani, for she had been living on her own. Most young wolves exit their parents' den after they graduate school. But Dani left the pack entirely after only a few days in Alpha School. Rocky had actually joined her. He was by her side for the first few weeks in unclaimed territory. Rocky was a different wolf back then. He was reckless and condescending. It wasn't until much later, after he left her and returned to the Western Pack, that he realized that denouncing her in front of their peers broke her heart.

"I admit... you have changed too," said Dani, feeling skeptical. "Maybe that's the secret. I'm sensing a wolf more reflective than what I'm guarding against. But... that still doesn't excuse you. Don't expect me to be won back!"

"I only have one goal in life right now: escape," Rocky replied. "I know I left my pack once with you, but I mean it. I'm never going to look back. I guess in the end you were right about everything about the world. It's a piece of shit."

"We tried to make our own pack. It failed. I've given up. It's too hard. I've just accepted everything."

"I can't just accept this, to live my life knowing I don't belong. I don't know exactly what I'm going to do, but I know exactly what I should do. I know you don't feel like you belong either, but don't worry. I'm not going to ask you to join me. That notion has come and gone. In fact, you would just slow me down."

"Hey! Don't be a prick! I was starting to like the new you!"

"Is that all we exist for, Dani?! To be liked? I figured you more than anybody would understand that wolves who don't belong deserve some immunity from society's expectations. I don't care if I'm liked. Judge me as you want. Hell, leave me to find Shadow Forest myself! I have more Alpha training than you! I could probably find it eventually if I tried; you know that! You don't have to show me the way, so why are you?"

Dani was silent. She didn't reply. As they walked between the trees, she glared at the ground, breathing heavily, appearing to contain herself. "Well?! Why are you?!" Rocky grilled. They came to stop. "WHY ARE YOU?!"

"We're here, dingus!" she answered, closing her eyes. She gave a deep sigh. " _We're here... Just go... please... I beg you..._ " Rocky looked straight ahead. The forest in front of them radiated darkness. The thick canopy allowed little light to reach the forest floor. Shadows reigned supreme. " _Don't even say thank you,_ " Dani added. The light grey wolf hesitantly nodded before slowly entering the area.

 **Later...**

Shadow was sitting in front of his den, butchering a kill on top of a boulder. He was a wolf full of history, none of which he liked discussing. Every square inch of his body's surface had a story to tell. Inside, he was solid and always firm, but his skin was sensitive. The scars were so deep they reached his personality. He was no social butterfly. This wolf that approached him, who seemed to be young and physically perfect, annoyed him. An hour earlier he had just taken in an injured wolf, and it was purely out of the goodness of heart. He didn't want to be anybody's puppysitter or saint. Remoteness was his element. Had his reputation for being wise compromised his location?

"Whew. Shadow, right?" greeted Rocky, panting. The black-reddish wolf ignored him. "Hello? I see you're sorta' busy with that caribou, but this is important."

"Don't waste my time, Alpha. Importance can be subjective." Shadow refused to look him in the eyes.

"I'm a Beta actually. Alpha School hasn't ended yet."

"Shouldn't you be with your parents then?"

"I don't care about parents. Fuck them," said Rocky. Shadow then looked at him, deepening his frown. "I need your help."

"You're a lost cause," he replied with contempt.

"I know I am. That's why I'm going to make my own beginning. I hear you have the most knowledge of the lands outside of the Valley. You know a way out."

"I know many ways," the Alpha corrected, "but none are good paths for you. You're a Western no doubt. They are a good pack. Your duty is to them."

"You don't understand! The pack lied to me! My whole life they lied to me!" Rocky stamped his right forepaw. "You're a recluse! You don't understand what it means to be betrayed by something that meant more to you than a family! You don't understand what it means to feel lost..."

"That might be the most untrue statement I've ever heard." Shadow stopped his butchering and finally gave full attention. "I wasn't born with these claw and bite marks. Most of them I didn't earn. I was an orphan destined to die in the coldness of a new moon. I was taken in by a pack leader who sought to make me into the best Alpha he could. His biological son I would frolic with until summer's end. He taught me the love of country and the love of countrywolf. We gave each other courage, happiness, even criticism. But then, the pack leader, my only father... I held him in my arms as I stood in a pool of his intestines... I remember his confused face fading into colorlessness. His biological son's scent... everywhere in the pack leader's cave... He blamed it on me... THEY blamed it on me! He was younger than me... He wanted to rule! I barely escaped with my life. I felt betrayed... I felt lost... unwanted and unloved... Please, young wolf, spare me your baseless claims. You know nothing about me, and you will never know anything. Never... Now you have the luxury of not experiencing anywhere close to what I've experienced. Turn back to your original path. Right wrongs instead of leaving them be for others. Don't be a puppy. Be a wolf for damn's sake."

"I'm sorry... but as you've brilliantly clarified, I'm not you. It is because I'm a wolf that I'm willing to step up to leave this hellhole. I've done it once before; I'll do it again. This time, I'm by myself. I'm not bound to anyone. Whether you like it or not, my current path is locked in permafrost, so are you going to help me?"

"I can't help the unhelpable. Find someone else to disturb."

"What about that guy? Can he help?" Shadow looked behind himself. Rocky gestured to the other wolf who was resting in Shadow's den.

"Leave him be," said Shadow. "He's in no condition to help you."

"Huh? What? Someone needs me?" said the other wolf, sleepily.

"Oh, you're awake," Shadow acknowledged. The other wolf came out of the den while dragging his left hind leg that was in a splint. He gave a loud yawn before sitting down next to his caretaker and their future meal. His fur was the exact same color as Rocky's: light grey. Rocky didn't know what to think of the wolf who also had a piece of flexible bark wrapped around his head.

" _Some injury,_ " he whispered out of earshot.

"Ooo. Looks delicious," the other wolf commented, looking down at the caribou. He enjoyed its presence briefly. "Who's this?"

"I don't know," Shadow answered apathetically.

"My name is Rocky. I'm a lone wolf."

"Huh. So am I," the other wolf replied.

"I'm looking for a way out of the Valley. Do you know one?"

"Pff, I know thousands."

"Great!" Rocky exclaimed. He glanced at Shadow and smirked. "Whenever you're able, please show me! What's your name?"

"Call me Alabaan."

"Cool!"

As they continued to talk Shadow thought to himself. He wanted to address something that was beginning to consume his mind every second. It was something very unusual that he noticed when he started talking to Rocky, when he first smelled him. Rocky definitely smelled like a Western but, in the distant corners of that smell, Shadow could detect something off, something that normal Western wolves would not have... It wasn't a temporary smell, something that would come from the environment. No, it was a small but significant smell belonging to the actual body... a smell of the North...

* * *

 **Credit: Shadow is an OC created by xXShadowTheWolfXx. I have permission to use his OC, but all rights are reserved for him. Also, I just turned 20, folks. Yay, me.**


	6. Chapter 6: Consequences Part 1

Chapter 6: Consequences Part 1 **(written from December 7th to December 13th, 2019)**

He heard her screaming. It continued to echo in the cave. His position in the cave's misshapen interior only allowed him to see shadows move across the wall. The action was around the corner, near the mouth of the den, among the orange light of the dusk. The pup quivered in his dark space of relapsing, wincing at every blow he could hear. The adults were arguing, but it was clear that the male dominated. He would strike her with his forepaws. He would let his claws severely mark her skin. Similar to the pup, she would regress into a lower position, attempting to display the most generous subordination, one that would finally satisfy her unyielding mate. But even the pup knew that satisfaction would come on the same day that it would snow in summer, as though keeping her face bleeding was a fetish.

Whenever the pup's mother failed his father, it continued a ritual of shrieks and crying, of fast-paced hearts and paramount fear. The pup grew a habit of nibbling his claws as he watched the shadows dance multiple times a day and the color of red spatter. Unfortunately, she was not alone. His father was not dumb nor deaf. Often, after applying the finishing touches on his bloody artwork, his attention would shift to the little weeps in the depths of the cave. He would travel there, carrying a purposeful smirk. By the time his father would come, the pup would nearly faint. Each thunderous step toward the little one would strike like lightning.

If his beatings were longer, he would've died young, not from the beating itself but from the adrenaline that would slam his puny heart into submission. It would beat faster than his lungs could tolerate. His father had so much dominance he could practically suck out all the air in one breath just to toy with his son. Among the bone-breaking thrashing and forced masturbation, the pup should've died just like his mother eventually did.

"But I didn't. Apparently, the stars wanted me to live," said Alabaan.

"What happened?" said Rocky.

"He disappeared. One day he never came back. For days I starved in that den, thinking this was some kind of prank. But no... He was gone! Woosh! I just shrugged my shoulders and left the den. Been on my own since."

"Alabaan... I... I don't know what to say. I don't know what's worse than that."

"Ehh, it's nothing," Alabaan replied indifferently. "He didn't break the bone in my dick, and that's all that matters to me." The Alpha laid down on his back and stretched his legs nonchalantly.

"You mean the baculum?"

"The what?

"The baculum."

"Boy, I hope you know I only speak wolfish."

"Never mind," said Rocky. He sat across from Alabaan. Shadow was snoring outside next to his butchering stone. It had been a week since Rocky met these peculiar wolves, but he was only interested in his new companion, for his knowledge of packless life was the most vast of any individual wolf. His apparent destitution and unkemptness showed a life that had erratic value. In a strange way, Rocky admired it, especially since the Alpha responded to the worst parts of his life with steadfast apathy. It was unheard-of behavior. "I just can't believe you're as nice as you are."

"I'm not _that_ nice," he said with a chuckle. "You just haven't given me a reason to be mean."

"Heh, heh. I see. It seems you almost have all your strength."

"No, I'm healed. We're going to leave in the morning."

"Healed? Didn't you have a broken bone?"

"It was cracked, not broken," the Alpha corrected. "Besides, we can't waste time."

"Why are you in a hurry to help me?" asked Rocky.

"Ya' ever wondered how I ended up with a busted leg?"

"You said you fell."

"Yes, but I was pushed, away from my den. Some idiots came and robbed me of my home and my girlfriend, Vyni. Before I help you escape the Valley, I must reclaim my belongings. That has been my original plan. Those wolves were barbarians! For all we know, my Vyni could've been raped!"

"I'll help you!"

"You will?"

"You deserve compensation. You deserve respect. A wolf like you deserves no bullies."

"Are you sure you're up for the task? Wolves won't hesitate to kill you on the fringes of the Valley."

"Where do you live?"

"In the mountains, southwest from here," he answered.

"Oh, you live up there! That explains why you know so much. What's it like?"

"Cold, but if you have a Vyni like me, it's a warm paradise 'cause you're alone with her and no one can bother you—normally anyway. Do you have a Vyni?" the older wolf asked.

"No. I had a girlfriend in Alpha School, but it didn't work out." The Alpha scooched closer.

"Tell me about her. You have nothin' to fear."

"Assuming you're heterosexual, it's not really something you would be interested in."

"What? Is she gay or somethin'? That's fine."

"No. She just umm... she has a baculum, her own baculum."

"What? Stop with the gibber-jabber. What is it?" he questioned. Rocky then made a paw gesture, moving his arm up and down to a rhythm. Alabaan got it instantly. "Oh! That's... very interesting. Never heard of someone like that. Are you sure it's a she?"

"It is in every other aspect. You won't notice anything odd if you keep your head up."

"You should bring this she-wolf along. The amount of fun we could have with her is immeasurable."

"Nah. She kinda' hates my guts."

"What did you do?" The Alpha tilted his head in curiosity.

"I denounced her in front of our friends. I called her a bitch and a freak."

"Is she a bitch?"

"Well, if she wasn't then, she is now."

"The bitchy ones are the best... as long as you can control them, of course, otherwise they're the kind to push you off mountains," he grumbled.

 **Meanwhile...**

In their den, Kate and Humphrey were lying down, unable to get sleep. They were dead silent until Kate suddenly burst in tears. Her mate knew why. She missed her offspring. Rocky had run far away and Jenny decided to live on her own on the other side of the pack. In many ways, she felt like her father before he passed. What she was feeling was similar to Winston's depression after the disappearance of Lilly. Her family was falling apart. All she had was her mother who was slowly fading away and her mate who was becoming more and more distant. They had numerous arguments during the last seven days, including some that got particularly heated. After their son and daughter stormed off, they had different opinions on how to respond. Kate wanted to profoundly apologize and reignite their relationship, but Humphrey was convinced that the best course of action was to let them go. Although she begrudgingly allowed his policy, it was beginning to take its toll on her. It wasn't until Humphrey said something inappropriate in his latest attempt to comfort her that she snapped.

"Honey, honey. It's okay. It's okay," Humphrey reassured. "This isn't what we planned at all, but let's take the good with the bad. They may be gone, but they're smart. They can live on their own."

"We know where Jenny is. But we don't know where Rocky is," she replied sadly.

"We talked about this. Let me remind you from a broader view that even the pups themselves weren't planned. I know they're important, but are they _that_ important?"

"I don't feel comfortable talking about them like that."

"Our comfortability about the subject doesn't matter. Kate, I love you. You know that. Let's be honest with ourselves. Are they our future? Let's think about what we want together. Are they the future we want? Are they the only legacy we want to leave behind? We took care of them. We put enough energy for them to be successful. Is it such a crazy idea that we should leave them be, these pups that were never supposed to exist? Shouldn't we let them, as wolves born only from sin, decide their entire fate? They should forget us, for we're just reminders of their terrible beginnings. If they forget and dismiss us, their own offspring won't have to think about their blackened bloodline."

"They're still family, Humphrey."

"So is the rapist when you think about it," he replied. "He's the father of the heir. That gives him a high status. Technically, he's family. Think about what's best for us. The rapist and his pups are as 'family' as a benign tumor is to a body. They didn't really harm us physically, but we need to cut them off for the sake of definite happiness and our reputation. I don't want people feeling bad for us anymore. We need to move on. Let's have the family we really want, what we were supposed to have."

"I don't know..."

"Come on, Kate..." Humphrey nudged her. In response, she stood up before yawning. Her mate went to the space behind her and placed his arms around her waist. Their hind legs fitted together with his knees behind hers. He nudged her tail away so he could get better access while his tail waged excitedly.

"This isn't right," said Kate. Humphrey ignored her. His sheath doubled in size.

"Ugh, I can't believe we've known each other forever, and I'm still a virgin."

"Humphrey... Please..."

"Come on, Kate. Let's make a litter for us... our one and only litter... a litter we can be proud of..."

"No!" she snapped and removed her body from his grip before his pink member could emerge. Humphrey was astonished.

"Kate?" She peered out the mouth of the den.

"I'm gonna look for him," she said firmly.

"Kate, you can't be serious." Without a reply, the tan she-wolf headed out into the cold. "Kate? Kate!" Humphrey yelled. " _Oh, no,_ " he whispered. " _She's grown attached... No... I can't let her find him! What do I do?_ " He thought for a second. " _There's only one wolf I can think of that could help: Matt..._ "


	7. Chapter 7: Consequences Part 2

Chapter 7: Consequences Part 2 **(written on January 11th, 2020)**

Humphrey could see the dens below. He stood on the edge of the cliff, the same cliff edge that Kate fell from about two years ago. He remembered watching her unwittingly fall into the box canyon where the heart of the Northern Pack was.

The last time Humphrey was there, he had confronted Matt about Kate's mysterious pregnancy. He suspected then that it was Matt who raped his mate, for he was alone with Kate while she was being held against her will. The timeline of her pregnancy, though, suggested that Kate was raped around a year ago, not long after Humphrey became a Beta and began Alpha training, so it would be impossible for Kate to have been raped by Matt unless he secretly came to the training grounds. After Humphrey first found out about the raping, he figured Matt had grown a liking for Kate while she was held hostage, and he raped Kate many moons later while Humphrey was training. When he confronted Matt, the pack leader showed him Den 23 where the only trace of Rocky and Jenny's father lay. It was a piece of light grey fur covered in the scents of sexually assaulted wolves. Humphrey did not want to think back to that day, but thinking about it was inevitable.

He was heading to the pack leader's residence again, a place known as Den 1. As he walked between the dens of the higher-ranking Alphas, he accidentally bumped into a white she-wolf he happened to recognize.

"Liona?"

"Oh, hey! Humphrey! Pleasant surprise."

"I haven't seen you since we were pups! What are you doing in the Northern Pack?"

"Well, um... I live here now," she replied solemnly.

"You do?"

"Yeah, I actually left the Western Pack not long after we parted ways on that last day of autumn."

"Why?"

"My family's too crazy, especially my father. Both of my parents are black and my siblings and I are white, so my father always thought our mom cheated. One day, they got into a fight, and he almost killed my mom. Slit her throat open. At that point, I knew I had to get out of there, so I ran away, and Matt took me in. I officially became a Northerner last year in the spring."

"I'm so sorry," said Humphrey.

"It's fine. I think I just have bad luck. Some douche tried to make harsh moves on me a year ago. It still haunts my dreams. But enough about me. I heard that you switched ranks and married Kate! I remember you used to always talk about how much of a crush you had on her. I used to mention that to Sweets and Candy all the time in hopes that they would set you guys up. Ha, ha! As a joke, of course, since Alphas and Omega can't be together."

"Oh, you did? Thanks! Ha, ha! But it seems me and Kate didn't need your help."

"Ha, ha! No... You have pups?"

"Umm... uhh... yeah, I have two... One is an Alpha. The other is an Omega."

"How cute! I hope to see them sometime."

"Yeah..." For a moment, Humphrey felt embarrassed.

"You know, you're not the only one who switched ranks. I'm an Omega now, the first Omega in my family."

"Wow, really? Well, I guess it's not that surprising since you were always an Omega at heart."

"Yeah, a year ago, I brought my Alpha sisters here. Today, in fact, I had to say goodbye to one of them. You remember Sasha? She wants to go out and make a living on her own."

"Sasha? I barely remember."

"Figures. Anyway, Matt took in my sisters too. I have nothing but gratitude for that wolf."

"Well, I'm actually looking for Matt right now. I need to talk to him. Is he in his den?"

"Yeah, he's in Den 1. It was nice for us to catch up!"

"Yes, of course. I hope you have better luck in your life! See ya', Liona."

"Just call me Lio next time. That's the nickname you gave me. Ha, ha! Bye!"

Humphrey then walked a short distance to the pack leader's den. As expected, he was there.

"Oh, Humphrey! Long time no see." The grey wolf still had his booming voice. Humphrey replied with a whisper.

" _Hey, Matt. I need to ask you for a favor._ "

" _A favor?_ "

" _Yes and pretty please... keep it between us._ "

" _I imagine this will be something you're not proud of._ "

" _It won't be, no. See, Kate's son, Rocky, ran away. He learned his origins._ "

" _The raping?_ "

" _Yes._ "

" _Okay._ " Matt then nodded.

" _I'm positive he has left the Western Pack entirely and that he's not coming back._ "

" _I see._ "

" _I've been trying to get Kate to forget about him, to let him live his life the way he wants to. He's not really our responsibility. But Kate has grown attached. She has just gone out, looking for him. I don't want to raise any suspicion that I'm trying to cut ties with Rocky, so I need you to make sure Kate never finds him._ "

" _I see. You want to start your family over. I understand._ "

" _That rapist took my future away! This is the only chance I have to have my own pups before I'm considered middle-aged._ "

" _I get it... I know a way._ "

" _What is it?_ "

" _Misdirection. If you can provide me with Rocky's scent, I can get my Alphas to stage a scene where Kate will think he's dead._ "

" _I like it. Okay, I will provide that. Once I do, get it done as soon as possible. Thank you so much._ "

"You're welcome, Humphrey. Oh, and one thing I want to say that I think you would want to know. It's just a little fact. I overheard you talking to Lio. Remember when we were at Den 23 and I mentioned that the rapist had been caught sexually harassing a she-wolf, a Western visitor to my pack, the week prior?"

"That was Liona?!"

"Yes. She may have some info about the rapist that might be of some interest to you."

"Nah. I don't want to learn about that piece of filth. I just want to expunge his legacy on me."

 **The next morning...**

In the mountains, Vyni miraculously awoke from her week-long intoxicated state. Garth instantly jumped on the opportunity to question her. He had tried to wake her numerous times but, for whatever reason, she was difficult to wake. As Garth hovered over her, she continued to display a drunken stupor like no other, but she began to move around and become more aware of her surroundings.

"Oh, hey, Barf. Heh, heh. What's crackin'?"

"Enough!" said Garth. "I have questions for you." He wanted to get straight to the point. His partner was behind him lying in a deep sleep that was much more sturdy than Vyni's naps ever were. Garth didn't care much for Vyni, but Lilly was literally everything. Both of them had berry juice on their lips. Garth wanted to see if this connection held any clues on how to save his beloved.

"Questions? Sure, hun. Shoot."

"Tell me about these berries. What are they exactly?"

"Um, I think they're fermented berries," she answered. "Duh."

"Yes, I know that, but is there anything special about them?"

"I don't think so. I never asked Alabaan if there was."

"Look, whoever you are, my girlfriend is stuck in this long sleep that your motherfucker of a boyfriend caused! You need to do better than 'I don't think so'! Are you dense?!"

"Name's not Dense; it's Vyni. Ugh, can you please not spit in my face?" she replied, sounding annoyed. Her lack of care ticked Garth off. He put his forepaws on her neck and choked her.

"I've been patient for over SEVEN DAYS, waiting for you to WAKE UP! If you have information that could help Lilly, I will make sure to get it out of you one way or ANOTHER!" Twenty seconds passed with no reply. Vyni couldn't speak with her airways forcibly shut. The orange wolf realized he was being too harsh so he let go. After gasping for air, the she-wolf shivered in terror and backed herself to the wall.

"What the hell, Alpha!"

"Sorry... I regret that. I just really need your help."

"No, you need help!" Vyni rebuked. "Even at our roughest, Alabaan never did that!"

"Alabaan! What do you know about him?"

"Um, not much... why does it matter anyway? We're just friends with benefits. We fuck and fuckin' love it!"

"I told you why it matters! Ugh... Forget it. Is there anything... anything that you know?"

"Well... he can be a bit pushy sometimes."

"What do you mean?"

"Whenever we fuck, I always have to convince him to pull out before he cums. He doesn't own me like that. I'm my own she-wolf, and when I say I don't want to be pregnant, I don't want to be pregnant!" She gestured to her stomach. It was the first time Garth had a good look at it. He discovered something interesting, but it contradicted Vyni's attitude.

"Um, but you are... already pregnant. I don't understand what you mean."

"What? What are you talking about?" she asked. Suddenly it seemed all of her drunkenness disappeared within a second.

"You don't know? Vyni, look at yourself. I mean, you have a long way, but you're pregnant."

"I am? I always thought it was fat."

"I've been in a pack for most of my life. Every spring, you'll see a hundred pregnant she-wolves. I know the difference. You're pregnant!" Vyni stood up and began breathing heavily.

"Holy fuck... I don't know what to think! Alabaan has to the father!" For the first time, Garth had some sympathy for her.

"I'm ninety-nine percent sure he is the father. But he's a terrible wolf! Help me find a cure for Lilly, and I'll take you out of here. You'll live a better life where you can take care of your pups in peace. Lilly and I are trying to get to a place called Mons Paradisum. It's a paradise in the mountains, but we're lost. Maybe you can help us."

"Slow down! I just found out I'm pregnant for fuck's sake!"

"Sorry," said Garth. Vyni then sighed.

"I don't even understand how this happened... How did I not know?"

"What do you remember?"

"I remember every time we fucked that I was able to stop him from going too far. I would stop him, and he would back off... then..."

"Then what?"

"He would give me the fermented berries... every time..." She wiped her lips with her arm, staining her arm with the juice.

"The berries! That's how he does it!" Garth exclaimed.

"Does what?"

"There's something odd about these berries. Lilly must've had a larger dose, and that's why she's in a deeper sleep! I remember Alabaan told me that Lilly could only be awoken by 'certain circumstances.' He said while violating my girlfriend that he was 'replicating those conditions'."

"Hold on, dog," Vyni replied. "I've eaten a bunch of those berries at once. I've never been out cold like your friend."

"Or maybe you don't remember."

"What?"

"'Replicating those conditions'," he repeated. "Intercourse must be the 'conditions'! Alabaan has probably cummed in you a thousand times, Vyni. The reason Lilly hasn't awoken is that I stopped him before he could do the intercourse! That means the only way to wake Lilly is to have sex with her!"

"I must have not been paying attention. What happened to Alabaan?"

"I killed him by pushing him off the mountain."

"WHAT?! What the fuck! I loved that dude!"

"OPEN YOUR EYES, VYNI! He broke his promise by getting your pregnant, and he tried to fuck my lover! Look, you can stay here and live in your fantasy, but I'm taking Lilly and I'm leaving. Some fucked up shit has been happening, and I don't feel comfortable here. I suggest you leave too so your pups can live normal lives. You deserve better. Hell, anyone deserves better. It's called giving a shit about other wolves' well-being!"

The Alpha went underneath Lilly to place her on his back. He was about to leave the den when a male wolf jumped him. Lilly fell to his side while Alabaan proudly stood on top of Garth's chest. "What the hell?! How are you alive?"

"I have ways." Flanking Alabaan was Rocky and two other wolves.

" _Rogues_ ," Garth whispered. "I know what you did to Lilly! If you fully violate her, I will enjoy killing you!"

"You're in no position to do such a thing," said Alabaan. "Besides, I'm not going to do it. I'd like you to meet Rocky. You want a piece of her, Rocky?"

"Who? That white she-wolf right there?" the young wolf replied. "I don't know... I've never had real sex before. It was impossible with Dani."

"Go ahead. She won't do anything," Alabaan encouraged. "Losing your virginity is a rite of passage. This is a special moment."

"Don't listen to anything he says, boy!" yelled Garth. "If you so much as lay a paw on her, I will kill all of you!"

"This orange wolf took my home and gave me a concussion, Rocky. He tried to kill me. I'm being merciful by not killing him. Plus, if he wants to wake that she-wolf from her deep sleep so bad, I'll happily oblige. Now bestow the punishment."

"Okay," said Rocky, feeling nervous. He slowly approached Lilly.

"Nooooooo!" Garth screamed. The two Rouges helped keep Garth down. As soon as Alabaan saw Rocky's penis emerge from its sheath, he grinned and snickered.

Vyni was conflicted. Although she didn't like Garth, he did reveal some truths to her. He was the first wolf she knew in a long time that seemed to view her other than an object. Regardless, due to peer pressure, she joined Alabaan's laughter.

* * *

 **Credit: Liona is an OC created by TimberPaw. I have permission to use his OC, but all rights are reserved for him**


	8. Chapter 8: Different Paths

Chapter 8: Different Paths **(written from January 28th to January 30th, 2020)**

Kate never thought the first day of spring would be like this. Rocky was supposed to become an Alpha like her. Alpha School ended today. She didn't think her son was so mad at his parents that he would leave the pack. It couldn't be true. He was somewhere nearby. Maybe something happened to him! Kate wanted answers. She loved Rocky as much as she loved Jenny. Despite Humphrey's opinion, she couldn't let them go. Not yet at least.

His scent was here. After zigzagging through the territory, his unique scent reached her snout. A great sense of relief fell upon her. She was right! He was here! Now all she needed to do was find him. It seemed he was near...

She was close to the Northern Pack's border. The scent was getting stronger. She was surprised that she couldn't see him yet. The scent was getting stronger. Surely, he should be here. The scent was getting stronger. No Rocky in sight. No wolf in sight. The scent was getting stronger. Something didn't seem right. The scent was getting stronger. His scent never waned or varied in strength, as though Rocky wasn't even moving at all. His scent was only getting stronger as his mother drew closer.

Next to a log was a small part of the ground where there was no grass. The smell emanated from the grassless dirt, dirt that was clearly turned inside out. Kate was incredibly puzzled. She stuck her nose into the fresh dirt. It didn't make sense.

Kate then noticed a bone lying against the log. It had an inscription: "He was gone when I found him, reduced to almost nothing. If any of his family finds this—I'm sorry." Her heart dropped to the core of the Earth. She frantically dug. Tears collected at the bottom of her eyes. She frantically dug. The ferocity made his arms and forepaws ache to the point of numbness. She frantically dug. She strained her jaw muscles. She ground her teeth. She frantically dug. Then there was a layer of smooth stones. One by one she would take a stone with her mouth and deposit it. Soon a layer of pelts came into view. She frantically dug. She easily ripped the pelts and spat them out to a place outside of the hole.

There he was. A scrap of bones and mishappen, unrecognizable flesh. Kate never questioned what happened. All she focused on was the fact that he was gone. The heir to the Western Pack was gone. In the burial with him was a play bone. His play bone. The one he always played with Jenny when they were wee pups. Kate didn't remember Rocky taking the bone when he left, but she didn't question how. She only thought about what was in front of her.

It seemed pointless, but Kate wanted to say it, at least before her sobbing would overtake her.

"Goodbye..."

 **Later...**

Humphrey was in the den talking to another wolf when Kate returned.

"Honey, I have terrible news..."

"What is it?"

"Our son, Rocky, he's... he's gone..."

"No... That can't be true! Kate, don't lie to me!"

"I'm not lying!" she yelled. "I know what I saw..."

"What did you see?" he asked.

"From the looks of it... he was crushed by a bear and torn apart by scavenger hawks. But that wasn't all... Somehow, he still had his little play bone, the one I gave him... Ugh! Why! Why! Why did this have to happen?!"

Humphrey merely cleared his throat. He wasn't quite giving the emotional response Kate expected, but she didn't care. Rocky was gone.

"Am I hearing this correctly? The heir to this pack is dead?!" said the other wolf.

"Yes, it appears so," Humphrey replied. "I'm at a loss for words... I must find Jenny and tell her the news!" The grey wolf briskly exited the den, passing by Kate who had collapsed. The black wolf gingerly went to her side to comfort her.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" Kate didn't respond. "Is it true that the heir is dead?" She looked up at him. Her wet face gave him the answer. "What is this pack going to do? Without an heir, there is no pack leader."

"What is your name?" she asked meekly.

"Uhh... Douglas, ma'am."

"I don't know a 'Douglas'..." The black wolf bowed his head in respect.

"I apologize. I've only been here for a few days."

"Are you a lone wolf?"

"No, ma'am. I'm from the King Pack," he answered.

"You're a Rogue?"

"Was... I've denounced King. I'm sorry if I never get to be seen as a good wolf in your eyes. I don't even forgive myself." Kate kept looking back and forth between Douglas's face and the pool of tears beneath her. Then she noticed the large scar over his left eye.

"Well, Douglas... have you ever seen a she-wolf become pack leader?"

 **Meanwhile...**

In the Shadow Forest, the wolf known as Shadow was napping on top of his bloody butchering stone. But his nap was cut short when the sound of digging awakened him. He was confused at first, but he quickly noticed a random wolf digging only twenty yards from his own den. It angered him. He was very sensitive when it came to the land surrounding his den. He stood up and marched to the wolf.

"Hey! What's the meaning of this?!"

"The meaning of what?" The wolf turned to face him, and to his surprise, it was a she-wolf. He hadn't seen one in a long time. It wasn't just any she-wolf. It was the prettiest one he had ever seen. She was a mixture of different shades of grey, but two areas of her body were distinct. Her back was predominantly dark, and her underbelly was predominantly pale. As if she wasn't attractive enough, her eyes were lilac.

"Oh, umm... sorry... umm..."

"Well, whatever you gotta say, spit it out," she said. He tried to regain his composure.

"Umm... What are you doing exactly?"

"I'm building a den. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"But this my land..."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. My name is Shadow, and I would appreciate it if you would not build your den here."

"Are you the leader of some sort of pack?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Uhh... no."

"How are you entitled to this land?"

"I'm the only one who lives here, and I take care of it."

"I can take care of this land too. Maybe you can teach me. Regardless, I'm not leaving, buddy." The she-wolf looked away and continued digging.

"I will... I will make you leave!" The she-wolf proceeded to not take him seriously.

"Huh, you won't do anything." She was right. The she-wolf was very good at reading wolves. She knew she had him. Shadow was good at reading wolves too, but for the first time ever, he had met his match. She was too pretty to simply be relocated. Despite how stubborn she seemed, Shadow kept viewing her as delicate, and he didn't want to touch her, which frustrated him because he really valued his loneliness. He didn't want anybody to be living near him. The concept of trust was not something he was accustomed to. The only wolf he really trusted was himself.

"Fine, whoever you are. I'll let you stay for today, but tomorrow I won't be so nice!"

"Keep talking," she replied, trying to provoke him. She found him amusing. "And my name's Sasha."

"You will be gone!" he declared without sounding confident.

"Talk to you later, Shadow," she said casually. Shadow then walked back to his den, whispering curse words to himself. Sasha glanced at him and smirked. "Hm. He's cute."

 **Later...**

Humphrey came to Den 1. He didn't tell Jenny that Rocky was dead. He wanted to go back to Matt to thank him.

"Whatever you did, sir. It worked like a charm."

"It was pretty easy actually," the Northern leader replied. "With the play bone you provided me with, I was able to make her think Rocky was dead by using his scent on it. There was a rotting carcass of a young lone wolf being torn apart by hawks on the northern outskirts of our territory. I made a burial where she would find it and left her a note saying that an unnamed wolf found him dead and decided to give him a proper resting place."

"Excellent. I can't thank you enough," said Humphrey. "She is devastated. I will use the opportunity to ask her to mate with me. I mean, she has to mate with me now. Rocky is the heir. Without the heir, there is no Western Pack."

* * *

 **Credit: Douglas is an OC created by Mike The Red Engine.** **Sasha is an OC created by xXShadowTheWolfXx.** **I have permission to use their OCs, but all rights are reserved for them.**


	9. Chapter 9: The Mountain Paradise

Chapter 9: The Mountain Paradise **(written on February 1st, 2020)**

Garth awoke with a huge headache. The land kept bobbing. The orange wolf realized he was being carried. Beneath him was a bulky dark grey wolf covered in scars. The same kind of wolf was underneath Lilly. Both of them were being carried. The two dark wolves were the Rogues that Alabaan brought to his den. That's when Garth remembered Lilly being violated. He was held down, facing away, when it happened, but he knew it happened. After that, Garth supposed he was knocked out.

He vowed vengeance on Alabaan and the young wolf only known to him as Rocky. No mercy.

At the moment, his four legs were tied up with vines, and he could barely move. All he could do was look at Lilly who wasn't tied up. It seemed that she was still in her deep sleep. Maybe intercourse wasn't the cure... Regardless, she still looked as beautiful as ever in Garth's eyes.

The Rogues were carrying them up an incline. They were in the middle of the mountain range, but they were high above the tree line. The ground, the cliffs, the ledges—everything was grey and jagged and cold. There was thick cloud cover, and the clouds were not too far above their heads. Bleakness reigned. The Rogues were following a long winding path on the slopes. They only went higher and higher. The path didn't appear to be natural. Garth could see the digging marks. Then his heart dropped. The path was long and wide enough for five wolves to walk on side-by-side. That meant that it took a long amount of time and a lot of wolves to build. Garth thought they must be heading to a huge group of wolves! Not only that, they must be heading to an ancient group of wolves. The digging marks looked incredibly old. But the Rogues were not known to be a thing more than four years ago. It didn't add up.

Four years ago, a year before Garth, Kate, Humphrey, and Lilly were born, a wolf whose name was made illegal lived in the Valley. He was known for hating and abusing Omegas, and he saw their destruction as necessary for wolf evolution. During Winston and Tony's leadership, he proclaimed himself a king of all Alphas after he was denied power. "King" then decided to leave the Valley, taking his loyal followers with him. He formed an all-Alpha pack in the land known as Banff, the national park neighboring Jasper to the south. The King Pack would spend the next four years terrorizing and raiding the Valley, hence they were called Rogues.

The Valley lay within the humongous mountain range called the Rockies. The mountains that closely surrounded the Valley were always crawling with Rogues. Valley wolves such as Easterns, Westerns, and Northerners never ventured out into the mountains. It was too dangerous. But Garth and Lilly were done with the Valley. Garth wanted a happy life with her, and he was willing to leave the Valley to achieve it. Rogues were an issue, be he believed that within the Rockies there was a place with no Rogue influence where he and Lilly could be alone, a place called Mons Paradisum. When he and Kate were forced to be married two years ago, he wanted Kate to hate him in hopes that Kate would talk to Winston about ending their marriage. Garth hated the arranged marriage as much as Kate did. He had the best time of his life with Lilly while Kate and Humphrey were in Idaho.

"It's a turtle that fell and can't get up!" she had said during that time. It made him smile.

He missed seeing her pretense. He liked seeing that Omega in her. He would never ask her to change. He would never ask her to become an Alpha, so they could be together. And he presumed Lilly wouldn't ask him to change into an Omega. They wanted to be themselves. The law was stupid. He didn't want to upset Kate in their marriage with his pretense, but it was necessary. He thought back to what she had to him.

"Just stop it! I can't stand you! You just can't leave me alone! All you want is my body. I thank my lucky stars that I'm a light sleeper or who knows what you might've done."

"I like you," Garth replied. "To heck with it, maybe I even love you. But I'm not an anti-feminist or a pervert. We'll just have to get used to each other. That's all." It made Garth sick to his stomach knowing that he said those things. But he wanted Kate to hate him, so he could be with Lilly.

"You are hereby officially divorced from Kate," Winston had declared, "so she is no longer below your authority. You have to find another den. And if I find out that you're going around making trouble, I will dish out punishments. Understood, Alpha? Your dad will not be pleased with you."

He pretended he was angry, but inside, he was celebrating. He didn't care about his dad because he was going to leave the Valley forever. That was his _**desire**_.

" _Garth?_ " whispered a feminine voice.

" _Lilly! You're awake!_ " Garth was right. Intercourse was the cure.

" _Garth? What's going on?_ "

"Quiet!" yelled one of the Rouges.

" _Long story,_ " said Garth. " _I'll tell you later. But know that you've been sleeping for over a week._ "

The two Rouges carrying them on their backs then entered a small tunnel in the mountain. For three minutes, they walked in almost complete blackness. When they came to the other side, they were welcomed by the warm spring sun. They flinched as it was very bright. The land they entered didn't seem real.

They were within a deep hole in the mountain. There were black vertical walls that encircled the entire space. Above was nothing but the sun and the clear blue sky. In the middle of the hole was a large platform surrounded entirely by a reddish-orange liquid that radiated an unholy amount of heat. Garth and Lilly could hardly breathe. After exiting the tunnel, they walked on a wide bridge of black rock that led them to the platform. Remarkably, this platform was covered in vegetation. There were grasses, shrubs, and even short trees. Garth wondered how that was possible.

There were dens too, and when they made to the platform, wolves exited them to see what was going on. All of them had dark fur. The two Rogues dropped Garth and Lilly at an area in front of a large den. The dark wolves behind sat down and silenced themselves. Someone important was coming out of the den. Garth thought it must be King. But it wasn't.

As one would expect, it was a dark-colored wolf, and he was full of muscle.

"Welcome, my pups, to Mons Paradisum, the mountain paradise!"

"Uhh, hi," Garth replied. He couldn't believe it. This was Mons Paradisum?

"Is it my birthday?" the leader asked with joy. The wolf who carried Garth then replied.

"These two will do nicely in our army. We got them from the Drifter. He was delighted to have more of the fermented tenebris berries." Garth presumed the "Drifter" was Alabaan.

"The Drifter has been a wonderful asset. We should ask him again sooner than later if he can provide us with more fighters. We can give him all the berries he wants. They have no use to us."

"Fighters? What in the world is going on?" said Lilly. Garth came closer to her and tried to explain.

"You know that grey wolf who let us into his den? The one who had that drunk she-wolf?"

"Yeah?"

"He's the Drifter that they're talking about. A week ago, I think he gave you some berries, and you fell into a deep sleep. He was going to violate you until I stopped him. But he came back with help. He gave you some weird-ass berries, and he gave you, I believe, a heavy dose. The only way to wake someone up from the deep sleep is sex. A friend of his violated you, then, from the looks of it, he traded us to the Rogues for more of those weird berries."

"What the hell?! Are we going to be slaves?"

"We're about to find out," said Garth.

"You two! Stand up!" ordered the leader. "Untie him," he told one of his subordinates. The Rogues cut the vines with their claws. Garth stood up and stretched. "Do you two know why you're here?"

"We were wolfnapped!" said Garth.

"No, it's destiny!" he corrected. "My name is Antwon, and you are to bow down to me. Understand, Alpha?" Antwon stood on a ledge in front of his den that was a few yards higher than them. Garth could feel the spit from the dark wolf's mouth touch his snout.

"It seems we don't have a choice."

"You're damn right! No escapes the Black Mountain Pack!"

"I thought the Black Mountain Pack died out a long time ago. I thought you guys were Rogues."

"Oh? You must not have heard of us. Let me give you a bit of background. All of us were Rogues, but we discovered two years ago the remnants of the old Black Mountain empire. There are networks of trails and paths on the mountains that go as far as a hundred miles from here! At its height, the Black Mountain Pack was the greatest pack in all of Jasper. I figured, fuck it, I should continue their legacy! King sees us as a faction of Rogues, a threat to his influence, probably because he knows how advantageous our position in the mountain range is. No one can touch us! You can't easily invade terrain like this! We've moved beyond King now. We're the true successors of this territory! Mons Paradisum was the center of its government, and it is once more! The Black Mountain Pack lives on!" All of the dark wolves cheered and hurrahed.

"But what about us?" said Lilly. "What are you going to do with us?"

"You two... will be our assassins!" said Antwon.

"No! I don't want to be your assassin!" the white wolf rebuked.

"You dare challenge my decision?!"

"I may be an Omega, but I'll kick your ass!" All of the dark wolves gasped, including Antwon.

"Lilly, please," said Garth.

"You're an Omega?!" Antwon yelled. "How dare an Omega enter this place!" He turned to the wolf who carried her. He immediately went into a submissive position.

"I'm so, so sorry, sir. I had... I had no idea..." Antwon got down from the ledge and walked up to the wolf. He glared at him for a few seconds before slashing his neck open with one swoop. The wolf fell to the ground and convulsed while his blood pooled. None of the other wolves looked surprised.

Antwon then glared at Lilly. She screamed in fear and tightly hugged Garth. All Garth could do was watch him come closer with murder in his yellow eyes. Antwon grabbed Lilly by her scruff and pulled her away from her grip on Garth. She started hyperventilating and grabbing anything on the ground she could to slow Antwon down. Garth stayed put. His heart was pounding. The other wolves moved out of the way as Antwon continued dragging Lilly. He was taking her to the edges of the platform. He was going to throw her into the red superhot liquid!

"This is lava," said Antwon, "the life of Black Mountain. You, Omega, will die in the most painful way imaginable!"

He was ready to swing his muzzle to throw her when Garth yelled.

"Stop!" He then dropped Lilly.

"What?!"

"Take me instead..." Garth went to Lilly and hugged her, but it was cut short.

"What are you talking about?!" said Lilly.

"Take me, Antwon. You don't want to kill her... She's smart! She's... she's a genius... She's the best wolf I know. She will be a better assassin than you can ever dream of... I promise you! Take me... I will just betray you! You don't want me with her gone... I love her. My emotions will only get in the way of your missions."

"Garth... don't do this..."

"I have to, Lilly," Garth replied. He then turned to the dark wolf. "I have to because it's true..."

"She's an Omega! What makes her better when she's the definition of emotional?!" said Antwon. "What use could she possibly have?!"

"She's not just any Omega... She's been with me... If you turn her into an Alpha, trust me, she will surprise you... She surprises me every day..."

"No, Garth, it's okay," said Lilly. "We're not doing thi—" Suddenly Antwon shoved Garth off the edge, and he fell down into the abyss. "NOOOOOOO!" Lilly screamed. She looked over the edge and down the chasm. Garth screamed all the way to the bottom. When he hit the lava, he screamed even more. Everyone in Mons Paradisum could hear it. His body caught fire, and he was quickly overwhelmed by the molten rock. Once all of his skin and fur turned black, he stopped screaming, and his body slowly lowered until it was out of sight. Lilly then covered her eyes and cried profusely. Antwon placed a forepaw on her shoulder.

"I guess we'll see if he's right. Your name shall be Metrialyn, after the legendary assassin from the old empire. Your first mission is to kill the Drifter. He gave us an Omega." Lilly closed her eyes and brought down her paws. Her entire heart was broken and black and cold. She took a few deep breaths before answering.

"As you wish, sir..."


	10. Chapter 10: Shadow and Sasha

Chapter 10: Shadow and Sasha **(written from April 3rd to April 4th, 2020)**

Shadow didn't mind the shower at all. As usual, he lay next to his butchering stone, napping away his stress. It was apparent to him that the older he grew the sleepier he became. He wasn't that old of a wolf though. His life had only aged his personality. At birth, he embarked on a chase to find peace, and nothing was more peaceful than sleep. There were many holes in his mind that were never filled in, times where he never got his revenge or fulfilled any desires. He felt empty. He felt destined to live forever on an aimless path. He was too scared to venture away from it. He was too scared to take risks. The forest gave him sanctuary, provided him with a distraction. He took care of the forest since he knew nature could not betray him.

Living in the forest alone offered a stable trade-off. The forest gave emotional security in exchange for a loss of Shadow's will to be happy. He couldn't smile. He was addicted to the forest. Peace was precious to him. He exploited it relentlessly, especially as time only piled the stress. Even self-guilt for being addicted added to the pain. It was a feedback loop. He wasn't getting depressed, for anytime he needed to feel better he could just sleep. He was simply fading into pointlessness. He acted old and tired, and he had no friends to pass his knowledge. He was an elder who had no will to teach. All he had was a barebones will to live. He could fall into deeper and deeper periods of peace, but he was never happy. He accepted not being happy, but he would stay the same wolf until the end. He didn't have a will to want something profound. His younger days had overflowed the capacity for action and drama. He was a warrior that was burned out. He knew the cost of war more than most. He knew more than most of the heartbreak those endure on the battlefield. But he wanted no more. Peace in the rain comforted him.

But this newcomer from yesterday would change him. Sasha was around his age, and she thrived on action and drama. Her trust in such confounded Shadow. Sasha had forced her way into his life without apology and disrupted the trade-off he was having with the forest. He had never met anyone so authoritative while so nice and independent. Any of his attempts to counter her only resulted in making him look like a stubborn pup whose words were only what they were: words. She was there to stay. He wasn't alone anymore. And even when he tried to ignore her, fate would bring them together.

As he napped, she dug underneath him inside a tunnel. Shadow then screamed as the ground beneath gave way, and he fell five feet into a dirt chamber. It had been so long since he felt a good rush of his heart. It was an old feeling yet a new feeling. After he processed what happened, he stared at Sasha. He wanted to be mad as hell, but he couldn't bring himself to be that way. The black-reddish wolf was just shocked. It was as though somebody poured freezing water on his face. It was just refreshing to be lively again. He didn't know what to think of it—that is until he realized upon trying to stand up that his right forepaw was broken. The butchering stone had fallen into the hole with him and crushed his paw. It was her fault, of course. The broken paw finally gave him words to say.

"What the hell, Alpha! Oww!" he yelled. Sasha had been giggling, for it was her reaction to seeing him fall down. When she noticed he was actually hurt, her tone changed to something Shadow would expect.

"Oh, crap! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Oh, my gosh! What were you doing?!" he asked.

"I was expanding my den," she replied.

"You're one wolf! How big of a den do you need?! You're digging near my area too?! Just what the hell!"

"I guess I didn't realize how far I was going."

"And look! Now I'm covered in mud thanks to you!"

"A little mud won't hurt ya'."

"Yeah, well, you broke my paw, you twat!"

"Hey, no need to be mean!" Sasha fired back. "Geez, you're such a grump. Maybe I shouldn't have settled here."

"Please! Leave! I thought I told you to go anyway!"

"Fine! I guess I will!"

"Thank you!" Shadow attempted to climb out of the hole, but one point of pressure on his broken paw sent him squealing. "Fuck!"

"Language," said Sasha. Shadow then sighed. Sasha rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Go through my den. You're gonna hurt yourself going up that way." Shadow followed her through the tunnel she built. He was a little impressed by the size of it. They went to the chamber where they could see daylight, and Shadow promptly went outside in the rain. He stood in front of the entrance of her den and let the rain wash away the mud and debris. Sasha watched him as he calmed down. She looked at his affected paw. It was swollen and twice its original size. "I got some proten bark," she said softly. "Want me to wrap it up?"

"I'm fine," he answered flatly.

"Are you sure? You don't have any more caribou. How are you going to hunt?"

"I'll cope with it. I've been through worse."

"I still think you should wrap it up. You gotta keep your joint stable."

"Should've made your tunnel stable... I thought you were leaving!"

"Can you not be an absolute turd for three seconds and put on a stinkin' bandage?!"

"If it shuts you up, fine!" Sasha went to the back of her den and grabbed a piece of the bark. She then stepped into the rain. Shadow held his paw up while she proceeded to wrap it with the flexible material. The light rain continued to relax him. "Sorry..."

"Hm? Sorry for what?"

"I'm not trying to be a jerk," he replied. The she-wolf giggled again.

"Well, truth is you actually were... but it's fine. I know a real bully when I see one. You're not a bully."

"What am I then?" It took a few seconds before she responded.

"A grump... but you probably have every right to be." Shadow knew she was alluding to his past.

"You know nothing about me!" he snapped.

"I see with more than eyes. I see it in the way you carry yourself, all the guilt in your face. I've been there, Shadow... May not be equivalent, but I get it." His breathing rate increased. He was amazed again that she could read him so well. He wanted to know how.

"How... how can you see through wolves?" He felt so embarrassed to expose some vulnerability, but he needed answers.

"Unlike you," said Sasha, "I don't shut others out at the first chance I get. Sometimes letting the river flow can allow you to gain some insight." She stepped closer to him and gently nuzzled him. "You should try it." It wasn't much, but the small touch of her nose sent him chills. Once again, he didn't know what to think. He still wanted her to leave... but not yet... He was curious about something... It was dangerous though. It would ruin the status quo, but his curiosity would only inflate.

"Hello!" said a voice from a distance. Both of them looked around. Their noses pointed them to a tan wolf approaching. It appeared to be a she-wolf. "Hello!" said the voice now louder.

"Yes?!" said Shadow.

"Who is that?" Sasha asked.

"No idea... Hey!"

"Hi!" said the third wolf. "Are you the one they call Shadow?"

"Um, yes. What do you want, Alpha?"

"Beta, actually. My name is Dani. I'm looking for another Beta named Rocky. He should have seen you."

"Ma'am, Rocky's gone," said Shadow.

"What?"

"Yes, he left the forest two days ago."

"Damn it! I just missed him."

"You need him?"

"I just wanted to say goodbye to him before he left the Valley. I used to kind of date him so..."

"Oh... Well, I'm sorry. He's probably out of the Valley by now."

"I see," said Dani. "Thanks anyway. It was nice to meet you." The wolf then left, going in the direction she came from.

"Who's Rocky? Were there wolves here before me?" Sasha asked.

"For a while, there were two wolves here. One of them I found with a concussion and took care of. The other came to me wanting to know a way out of the Valley. Day before you came here, they left together."

"Who would want to leave the Valley? Aren't the mountains full of Rogues?"

"I never said he was a smart pup. I don't control them. If they wanna kill themselves, go ahead."

"I guess a part of me can't blame them for leaving," said Sasha. "You snore like a fluttering little bird, heh, heh."

"I DO NOT!" Shadow protested before blushing.


	11. Chapter 11: Dani's Return

Chapter 11: Dani's Return **(written on April 4th, 2020)**

Disappointed, Dani went to a place she hadn't been to in a long time: her birthplace. She had left her home a few days after Alpha School started. She hated Alpha School. She hated the Western Pack. She felt judged at every second.

But if she couldn't get to Rocky, she thought she could get the next best thing.

"Well, if it isn't Ms. Runaway," her old instructor, Priscilla had said. "Never thought I'd see you here again. You should be ashamed of yourself! Deserting your pack! Pathetic! At least the others came back. You didn't."

Dani wasn't in the mood to talk to her. She only wanted to know where her best friend lived. "She recently moved to the den grounds over here," Priscilla answered.

Dani looked around the area and saw a den that was newly built. She went inside to see her old best friend lying on the ground without any pelts.

"Dani? Is that you?" she said.

"Yes, Jenny. It is." They went and hugged each other. "How are you feelin'?"

"I'm okay!"

"Are you sure? You don't look that okay."

"I'm fine, Dani. Just dealing with some family issues... Wow, you've grown up!"

"Ha! You two..."

"I see you still got your umm... oddity."

"Yes. No need to massage it. Heh, heh."

"Yeah. Heh, heh. Gosh, it's been so long. What... what has happened since the last time we met? I remember you left with Rocky and Briana. You guys were starting a new pack or something."

"Yeah," said Dani. "It didn't go well. Everyone was fighting over what to do. It turns out that Briana wasn't a very good leader, and our pack began to fall apart pretty quickly."

"I can't believe Rocky didn't tell me any of this," Jenny replied. Dani shook her head in contempt.

"He's an asshole. You know, he didn't me tell me he and you were siblings until we broke up."

"You guys were dating?"

"Yeah. I don't know why I tolerated him for so long. Maybe I pitied him. But almost every day he wanted to have sex with me." Jenny was taken aback.

"Rocky? We're talking about the same wolf, right?"

"Yes, Rocky. I should mention that when I say 'sex with me,' I mean the closest a male could have sex with me. We couldn't do much with... my parts."

"Huh... He never came across as the I-want-to-have-sex-with-you-everyday type of wolf. I mean he has his douchey moments, but for the most part, he's sweet and brotherly. Like this is the first time I've heard him ever wanting to have sex at all."

"Man, you really don't know him."

"How did you guys break up?" Jenny asked.

"Well, the final straw was when I was trying to lift everyone's spirits. See, there was so much infighting in our pack that I brought everyone together, and I gave this big speech about how we needed to overcome our differences and work with each other. Since there were no Omegas, Briana had appointed me as the spiritual leader, and it was my job to keep everything working smoothly. However, after that speech, Rocky... denounced me in front of everyone."

"What?"

"A few hours before the speech, I decided that we should take a break. He was being such an asshole that I just needed to take a breather, but I guess he didn't like that, so after my speech, he went up to the crowd and just tried to make me seem worthless. He said something along the lines of, "Don't listen to Dani! Look at her! She's a freak! How can we trust anyone like her to know anything?!' Even for Rocky, it was so lowbrow. He said it in front of all of those wolves too. And they believed him! And any power I had as a spiritual leader disappeared in the blink of an eye. I don't think he realized what I was trying to do with my speech, and what he did only sealed the fate of our pack, that it was doomed. After that everybody gave up and went back home to the Western Pack. I couldn't go back. I was too pissed. He lied about a lot of things, including his past, but the fact that he lied about caring for me... I've been living on my own in the Northern territory ever since."

"Wow... just wow."

"I know. How was Rocky when he returned home?"

"Um, well, our mom was really angry that he missed so many days of school. She takes Alpha School really seriously, so she was raging. Our dad was kind of indifferent."

"You said you were dealing with some family issues. You wanna talk about it?" Jenny's frown deepened.

"Oh, yeah... that... So... it turns out that our dad... isn't really our dad."

"Oh..."

"Over a week ago, Rocky and I overheard a conversation between Mom and him. It turns out that our mom got raped a long time ago, and we're the result of that... They kept the truth from us, and we were made to believe that Dad was our true father, but he wasn't."

"That's such a surreal thing to go through," said Dani. "I'm so sorry."

"It's fine. I moved far away from that den. I'm not talking to either of them. I'm so glad I officially became an Omega yesterday because that means I never have to meet them again."

"Wait, is that the reason Rocky was leaving the Valley? Because of the truth that was revealed?"

"Leaving the Valley? What are you talking about?" Jenny tilted her head.

"You don't know? Well... Rocky left the Valley. He came across me a week ago wanting to find someone who knew a way out of the Valley. I brought him to Shadow Forest. There's a wolf there named Shadow. I just talked to him not that long ago 'cause I wanted to say goodbye to Rocky before he left, but Shadow said he most likely was already gone." Jenny collapsed to the floor.

"Rocky's gone... I can't believe it... Who would leave the Valley though?"

"Like I said, you don't really know him."

"The pain must've been that great. I just wish he would've told me where he was going. He's my brother! And he just ditched everything!"

"I think he cares about you," Dani assured. "He would return."

"That's the thing," Jenny replied. "Those who leave the Valley don't. Many weeks ago, two wolves decided to travel that far for whatever reason. Veteran scouts had found their bodies. No doubt that they were slaughtered by Rogues. No one comes back alive. It's suicide."

"The Western Pack is so stupid. We act so tough and smart, but individually, we're constantly making dumb choices. I presume that they were some of the dumb wolves from our class."

"No. They were older, around the same age as my parents. Winston had made this whole ceremony for them that all of the Betas and Omegas-in-training had to attend. I think their names were like Jason and Rebecca." Dani then gasped.

"Wait... what? Fucking repeat those names!"

"Jason and Rebecca?" she repeated.

"Jenny! Those are _my_ parents!"


	12. Chapter 12: New Excitement

Chapter 12: New Excitement **(written from April 5th to April 9th, 2020)**

The first day of spring was supposed to be the day when a new pack leader began his reign, but yesterday that did not happen, and the wolves of the Western Pack were beginning to panic. The heir to the pack's leadership had vanished. According to Kate, he was dead. The male royal bloodline had abruptly ended. Females were not allowed to be the pack leader, but Kate felt empowered. The death of Rocky convinced her that she needed to take control. It wasn't a matter of intelligent strategy. It was a gut feeling. It just seemed like the most natural thing to do. Who else could possibly take the role? She was the daughter of the renowned wolf, Winston. Citizens knew she was capable. But it would be an uphill battle as even other female Alphas would be against her.

While most of society was gender-neutral, since the dawn of wolfkind, males have dominated the highest form of power in a pack. The pack leader position was an indefinite role. A wolf would stay as a pack leader until an Alpha son or grandson succeeded him. No one knew what would happen if there was no heir. It was up in the air. Perhaps a new bloodline would need to be established, or the role of pack leader would cease to exist. No one knew. Regardless, Kate wanted to quickly fill the role and claim legitimacy.

She gathered most wolves of the Western Pack to a place known as the Ceremonial Valley where big announcements and weddings were held. Kate had married Humphrey there. She also married Garth there... She remembered being so much in love back then. She hated Garth. Humphrey was everything. But nowadays, the fire was dim. Ever since Rocky and Jenny left, she was more estranged from Humphrey than ever. Perhaps it was marriage fatigue. Perhaps it was something else...

"Attention! Attention, wolves!" Kate yelled, trying to speak over the rowdy crowd.

"What's going on?" said one wolf.

"Where's Rocky?" said another.

"Attention!" said Kate. "I have terrible news... my son, Rocky, is dead..." Everybody except Humphrey gasped. Jenny couldn't believe it. She wondered how Kate knew that. How could her brother be dead? Only an hour earlier, Jenny was consoling Dani when she found her parents were dead. Now she needed Dani to console her, but Dani had disappeared. Jenny fell to the ground and hyperventilated. She remembered what she told Dani. Those who leave the Valley don't return...

"The heir is dead! The heir is dead! Who's going to lead us?!" somebody screamed.

"Long live the heir!" somebody chanted.

"Quiet, wolves!" said Hutch. He stood a few feet away from Kate. Douglas was between them.

"As a mother," Kate continued, "this hurts me dearly... but I know the Westerns are looking for somebody to lead them! Which is why I've gathered you all here today to announce that I will become pack leader!"

Suddenly, half the crowd began booing. All of the booing wolves were Alphas, equally male and female. Everyone else was stunned, including Hutch.

"Kate? Are you serious?"

"Are you questioning your loyalty, Alpha?" Kate replied without turning her head to face him.

"Umm... no, ma'am." Hutch then bowed his head. "You're the daughter of Winston. If there is no heir, I'll follow you wherever you go. This is just... so unprecedented..."

"These are weird times. I know."

Humphrey then came up to her.

"Kate? What are you doing?!"

"Don't try to stop me, honey."

"I mean... I won't. I just hope you know what you're doing. Nobody's going to like this."

"They'll learn." Meanwhile, the boos continued to get louder. "You there." Kate pointed to a single wolf in the crowd who wasn't booing. It was a black she-wolf. She walked up to her. "You're Jasmine, right?"

"Yes, ma'am!" she answered excitedly.

"You're hereby promoted to Prime Omega."

"Cool! Um, what's that?"

"It means you're the leader of all of the Omegas," said Humphrey. "Don't get your hopes up though. It just means you get to attend Alpha meetings."

"Oh... Cool!"

"Jasmine," said Kate. "I want you to go to any wolves who are in their dens right now and let them know that I'm taking over. I figure if I send an Omega, a friendly face, they may be more relaxed to hear the news. Also... let the pack leaders of the East, North, and South know too. I want everyone to know that I'm here and that I'm not some pushover. And make it snappy."

"Okay!" Jasmine ran out of sight.

"What would you like me to do, ma'am?" Douglas asked politely. Kate walked up to him and whispered in his ear.

"Do you know the mountain that's covered in dens?"

"Um, is that what you guys call Mt. Victory?"

"Yes. Near the summit is my father's den, the pack leader's den. Meet me there. We'll talk about inducting you into the pack."

"Okay... Thank you."

The crowd became even louder. It was beginning to look dangerous.

"Fuck Kate!" someone yelled. "We want a real leader! We want Winston!"

"Hutch, make sure there's no trouble here," Kate ordered. Hutch nodded.

"What do you want me to do, honey?" asked Humphrey. "Want me to check the borders again?"

"Oh, umm... uhh... It's... it's fine, Humphrey. Take the day off."

"What? You're having Douglas do something, and he's disabled!" Humphrey then came closer. He tried to kiss Kate, but she backed away. "Kate... if you're gonna give me the day off, can I at least have some fun with my mate?" Kate was disgusted.

"Humphrey... We just lost our son... What makes you think I would be in the mood to do any of that?" Humphrey frowned and looked at the ground in disappointment before walking away with his tail lower than ever. Kate sighed and returned to the crowd to answer their questions. "Yes, yes, one at a time! One at a time!"

 **Later...**

Douglas waited inside the empty pack leader's den for two hours before Kate arrived. Kate couldn't help but feel happy to see him again. She knew everyone in the Western Pack, and Douglas was a totally fresh face.

"You like? This is where I'll be staying from now on."

"It's the biggest den I've ever seen," he replied. "Even King's wasn't this big nor this nice."

"You knew King?" Kate sat down in front of him.

"I only met him once... as a pup. My parents were both a part of his close, loyal group called the Inner Circle. Each member of this group was bound to make a biannual report of the amount of Omegas we've killed. On one of those visits to King's den, I was brought along."

"That's... that's horrible," said Kate. "What made you decide that you needed to get out of there?"

"It wasn't my decision. My parents, in fact, are traitors. They told me about life outside the King Pack, and they developed a plan to set me free; however, it involved putting themselves into sexual slavery. I tried talking them out of that course, but they wanted me to live a life free of death. Every Rogue is trained to be the ultimate wolf-killing creature. My parents didn't want me to be like all of the other Rogues who could care less about making others suffer."

"Did _you_ have to have this biannual minimum of Omega kills?"

"Briefly yes... and... I killed a trio of them where they stood..." Douglas closed his eyes as tears shed. Kate propped him up before he could collapse.

"They made you do it, didn't they?"

"My parents tried their best to keep me from having to kill anyone... but they could only do so much for so long. Luckily... those first three Omega kills have been my last, but it still hurts to remember their screams. They called me a monster... Maybe they're right."

"No, you're no monster, Douglas. You've shown yourself to be completely stable. You're avenging their deaths by talking to me. We wolves of the Valley know almost nothing of the politics of the King Pack. This stuff about the Inner Circle and the Omega kills is new to me, and it would be new to anyone. Your information is incredibly invaluable. Perhaps we may utilize it to defeat the Rogues once and for all. Please... Your entry into the Western Pack would be a blessing, and I'm sure it's what your parents would want."

"The Rogues... They'll come for me..."

"We'll protect you... I'll personally protect you."

"I don't know what to say," said Douglas, attempting to smile. "I can't exactly express my thanks in words." That's when something powerful came over Kate.

"Nor can I..." To Douglas's complete shock, she came closer and did the inexcusable. Kate's eyes were closed while Douglas was too surprised to stop her. It lasted twenty seconds before they separated. For the first time in many moons, she felt excitement. But it came at a cost.

She turned away from Douglas and shivered with fear. "Shit! What have I done...?"

"I... I... I should go," said the former Rogue.

"Wait!" said Kate. Douglas was halfway outside. "I'm sorry!" He looked at the ground, breathing heavily.

"It's fine, ma'am..."

"This never happened... Okay?" Without a response, he wiped her saliva off of his lips. He then slowly left her sight after taking one last frightened look at the she-wolf who affectionately kissed him without warning.

Kate's mind raced. In one quick move, she broke one of her most important principles. Even if she hated Humphrey, she would never be unfaithful. But she was for twenty-seconds. More than enough time to trigger Humphrey if he knew...

 **Meanwhile...**

In Shadow Forest, Shadow came back to Sasha who was busy filling in the area where he fell and broke his paw. Sasha noticed him pushing a flat stone toward her.

"I have more than enough dirt to fill this in," Sasha assured.

"It's not for that," Shadow replied. He pushed it until it was adjacent to his butchering stone. Sasha figured it out quickly. It was another butchering stone!

"You want me to stay all of a sudden?"

"Just until my paw heals. As much as I hate you, I need you."

"Nooo, there's more to it than that. Why give me my own stone? Why not just wait 'til your paw heals without me getting food for ya'? You're a fat wolf; you can last!"

"Did you just call me fat?!"

"There's nothing wrong with fat." Shadow then turned away from her. "Wait a second. You like me, don't you?" He responded with a deep sigh and shook his head. "Oh, my gosh! How cute! Ha, ha!"

"Shut up!" he barked.

"Ha, ha! You know, I always had a feeling you did from the beginning."

"I said SHUT UP! I don't like... UGHHH!"

"Geez, calm down, Shadow. Why are you gettin' so worked up? I don't mind! It's cute!"

"Stop saying 'cute'!"

"What? It's adorable! When was the last you were in love?" Shadow made more groans before sitting down.

"Never," he answered. "But I don't trust anyone anymore..."

"Well... let me just say this... If I'm a threat, it's only to your current normality. Here, stay in my den for tonight."

"Why?"

"So you can get used to my scent... and..." She leaned in and purposefully stroked his sheath with her arm against his chest and her paw on his groin. A wave of feelings flew through him that he never experienced. It was all so new. Shadow was too curious to ignore her now. He felt embarrassed to moan loud enough for her to hear.

"Ooo... Sasha... Wha... what are you doing...? _Please... Ooo..._ " Shadow fell to his back as the she-wolf continued to stroke slowly and rhythmically. Sasha came closer and whispered in his ear. At this point, all pain in his broken paw vanished.

" _You want me, don't you?_ "

" _I... Ooo... I don't know..._ " Sasha lifted her paw from his groin, allowing him to think clearer. She looked directly into his blue eyes with a worried look on her face. She wanted him to at least have a clear mind.

" _I won't force anything._ "

"What did you do to me?" he questioned, but Sasha had returned to her den. He lifted his head and looked down at his genitalia that was engorged. In the corner of his eye, Sasha was sitting near the entrance of her den. Although she was blushing uncontrollably, she appeared at ease, waiting for Shadow to make his next move. "Good heavens, should I take the bait, Father?" he said to himself.

"Don't waste your life in fear," his adoptive father had said to him years ago. "A wolf's life lasts as long as the shape of a cloud. Watching your back is always good, but don't be afraid to surrender to the current. Sometimes you may know what you want, sometimes you don't..."

" _What have I got to lose?_ " said Shadow.

Love. Sex. Dating. Creating a family. None of it was on Sasha's mind when she arrived at Shadow Forest or "Shadow's Forest" as she liked to call it. She just wanted to escape her parents who fought all of the time. She wanted time to herself, away from family, but now that it seemed that this Shadow fellow had a crush on her, she realized that also wanted to have fun. They were alone in the forest. They had nothing but themselves. They didn't have to be mates to fool around nor anything on the boyfriend/girlfriend level. They could do whatever they wanted. And Sasha wanted Shadow to see that too, but he was very insecure about any friendship. She knew that by playing into his biological urges, he would at least realize that this particular relationship wasn't going to harm him. She would make sure he would feel as safe as possible while being himself. She was curious to know what he was really like under all of the scars. Wolves of a long history fascinated her. For a wolf not too old, he was very wise—just not in terms of managing his own insecurities... But the she-wolf was eager to help him out with that.

All he needed was to let go. Ironically, for a courageous, formidable wolf, it was fear holding him back. It wouldn't take long, Sasha believed, for her to lower his defenses. The fact that Shadow's paw was broken meant that he was going to need her. And that meant they were going to spend large amounts of time with each other. For the first time in many moons, she felt excitement. And for the first time in many years, whether or not he wanted to admit it, Shadow felt excitement.


	13. Chapter 13: Too Far

Chapter 13: Too Far **(written from April 11th to April 12th, 2020)**

 **The next day...**

As the spring sun continued to warm the Earth even more, Rocky, Vyni, and Alabaan frolicked together along the border between the Western Pack and the Northern Pack. Rocky had a plan to leave the Valley, but he was intrigued by the wolf that looked so similar to him. Alabaan was like an older brother he never had.

Rocky became sidetracked by Alabaan, and Rocky's ambitions to leave the Valley dwindled in comparison to his new ambition to follow the unorthodox wolf. Alabaan was a wolf who held zero responsibility. He cared about no one. He failed to acknowledge any significance of his past. He shrugged his shoulders at any mention of his faults. It was only Alabaan and his desires. Rocky admired it.

For most of Rocky's life, he yearned for a place or a time where he could be his unfiltered self. Unbeknownst to Kate and Humphrey, he had a double life. Humphrey had not taught him how to masturbate, unlike what he told Dani at Alpha School. No, Rocky taught himself everything. For the longest time, he dreamed of having sex. His biological urges owned him, and he was embarrassed to be open about it. Since Dani possessed incompatible genitalia, he figured being with Dani would confine his sexual urges. But his sexual urges were stronger than he realized as he would get sick of not being able to have sex with Dani and eventually break up with her. It wouldn't be until he met Alabaan that his first wave of sexual want would finally be fulfilled. When he lost his virginity mating with Lilly, it was like his whole world restarted. And he had no one but Alabaan to thank. Around Alabaan, Rocky's two lives became one.

He never understood why sex seemed to be extra gratifying for him. After all, he wasn't the only one in Alpha School who taught themself how to masturbate. But there were days even before Alpha School when he would have to sneak off away from friends just so he could please himself for a few minutes. It was an addiction that he barely managed to keep to himself. He wouldn't let his parents know nor his Omega sister. And although a part of him knew the addiction would consume his life, another part of him didn't want to seek help. Despite the constant annoyance, he did enjoy pleasing himself. It was an infinite recurring attraction. Dani was wrong ten days ago when she said Rocky had changed. Aside from being more mature, he actually hadn't changed at all.

Interestingly, it seemed Alabaan suffered from a very similar disorder. Over the course of their scenic trip around the Valley, Rocky observed Alabaan have sex with Vyni ten times. Ten times in two days. And he was itching to do it a sixth time for today.

The three wolves decided to take a short break from walking. Rocky could smell the various scent marks in the vicinity as they lay on the border between the West and the North. He could also hear Alabaan and his floozy giggling as they readied themselves for more intercourse. Despite how excited Vyni was again, her eyes could barely open. Rocky figured the excess of sex was beginning to make her very tired.

"Are you sure you guys wanna do that again?" said Rocky. "It's not even close to dusk yet."

"Nonsense," Alabaan replied. "I know my Vyni. There's no such thing as too far."

"I hope you're right."

"I'm fine, Rocky," Vyni assured. She then lowered her head to the ground and stretched her back end. Her butt was in the air, waiting for Alabaan to mount it.

"Hey, why don't you take this one?" Alabaan offered. "Warm her up for me."

"Um, sure," said Rocky.

"Every female is different, so it will be a different experience. That white she-wolf you mated with had a tight pussy. Vyni's pussy is not that tight."

Rocky mounted Vyni and inserted his penis.

"Wow. Hmm... Very warm."

"Thanks," said Vyni before moaning. He began to thrust into her. Rocky felt those sensations coming back. It was his second time having sex. Beside them, Alabaan watched and smiled.

" _I actually might consider this Rocky wolf to be my sidekick_ ," he whispered out of earshot. " _It'll be Rocky and Alabaan against the world! I can't wait to teach him all of the things I've learned._ "

All of a sudden Rocky stopped and dismounted Vyni. "Is something wrong?"

"Sorry. I need to urinate," Rocky replied. "But she's warmed up!"

"Good... I'll take it from here."

Rocky walked over to a tree that was on the other side of some bushes and began to do his business. Meanwhile, the action between Alabaan and Vyni increased.

" _I still need to give you my everything,_ " said Alabaan. " _You're still the best sexiest fucking slut ever._ "

" _F_ _uck my tailhole..._ "

" _No,_ " he replied sternly. " _I wanna fuck the hole that matters._ "

" _Okay... You have permission... Give me your all... Give me everything._ " Alabaan thrust even harder. He tried to go as deep as he could.

Vyni closed her eyes, opened her mouth, and screamed with pleasure. The light grey wolf kept going.

"Oh, gosh... Holy fuck!" Vyni yelled. The two wolves then hit their climax... once again... This time, though, after they physically separated, Vyni's body collapsed abnormally. It caught Alabaan by surprise. She never collapsed like that. It was as if she passed out.

"What the fuck..." Alabaan's heart sank. A large amount of blood pooled in front of him. "Shit! Shit! Shit! Vyni!" He went to her side and checked her pulse. Nothing. He then realized his entire sheath was covered in blood. "Fuck... You got to be shitting me... Rocky!" he called. "Come over here! My Vyni is dead! Rocky!" There was no reply. He hastily tried to conceal her body by pushing debris into her before he turned around and went to the place where Rocky was urinating. He was nowhere in sight.

Alabaan looked in all directions and, from the corner of his eye, he could see two beefy wolves carrying a beaten-up Rocky on their backs. "What the hell is going on?!" They were almost a hundred yards away, and they were heading towards Mt. Victory. Alabaan decided to follow them. He didn't want to get too close in case they might attack him, so he kept a good distance away from them.

One question buried itself in his mind. Why did these wolves kidnap him?

 **Later...**

Kate was in the pack leader's den with Humphrey. The two beefy Alphas came into the den uninvited and dropped off their load. Humphrey and Kate gasped.

"Rocky?! YOU'RE ALIVE!" said Kate. She had the biggest smile.

"How in the world...?" Humphrey couldn't believe it. Kate, however, came to Rocky and hugged him tightly. The two beefy Alphas looked at them with determined faces. "Are you two Northerners?!" Humphrey questioned with anger. He wondered if Matt had done something foolish.

"Northerners? We ain't no damn Northerners!" one of them replied. He was obviously offended. "We found him at the Northern border."

"No, honey. It's fine," Kate said to her mate. "I know them. They're Westerns." Kate recognized them as some of the Alphas who booed her when she announced that she was taking control. "Rocky, are you okay?" Rocky had a deep frown. The last place he wanted to be was home.

"I'm fine, Mom! I'm fine," he replied. He was visibly irritable.

"We were so worried... And then we thought you were dead! I saw your play bone in a grave with bits and pieces of a skeleton! I wonder why you would put it in there with some random wolf. Maybe you wanted to give him something to comfort him in the afterlife."

"Play bone? I never took my play bone," said Rocky.

"What?" said Kate. Rocky shook his head.

"Well... how on Earth did it disappear from our old den?" Humphrey grew nervous and tried to change the subject.

"Um, hey! What happened to your face!" Humphrey gestured to the countless bruises on Rocky's body.

"Yeah!" said Kate. "Hey, guys!" she yelled at the two beefy Alphas. "Did you beat up my son?!"

"It's not what you think. He wouldn't come willingly."

"Is that true?" she asked Rocky. Her son refused to look her in the eye. "Rocky? Are you even listening to me?"

"He's still upset about what he found out a week ago," said Humphrey.

"Look, Rocky," Kate continued. "I'm just glad you're safe. Don't ever run away like that again. Okay? You're supposed to be pack leader right now!"

"Speaking of pack leader," said one of the big Alphas. "We Westerns expect you to step down! You're breaking the law! No damn she-wolf should be pack leader!"

"Calm yourselves!" Kate walked up to them and asserted authority. "I will step down... Rocky will be pack leader within the next few days once I finish preparing the ceremony. And for the record, whether I'm pack leader or not, I'm still a higher ranking Alpha than you... so learn your place!"

"He's missed too many days! Make him pack leader now!"

"He's also missed too many days of Alpha School! My son is still a Beta unfortunately."

"We don't care! Make him pack leader now!"

"A bunch of hypocrites! Only care about tradition when it's convenient for your agendas! You're lucky that you have brought my son, making me eternally grateful, otherwise I would've howled for my mother to come, and you don't want to be on my mother's bad side."

"It's true. You don't," Humphrey added.

"Now leave us!" The two big Alphas then turned around and left. "Thank goodness. And you!" She gestured to Rocky. "We need to have a talk. Future pack leaders don't abandon the pack! I'm so relieved to see you, but I'm disappointed!"

"Whatever, Mom. I don't want to be pack leader."

"Neither did I, but I'm doing my duty because you didn't! And this isn't the first time you've abandoned the pack! That stunt you pulled during Alpha School still gets to me... Ever since then, you've developed this attitude! You don't listen! Anyway, the role of pack leader isn't something you can back out off. It is literally the role you were born for."

"I wasn't supposed to be born, remember?"

"You know what I mean!" Kate snapped. "You have no choice, son. You _will_ be pack leader! You can't turn your back on destiny." Rocky then finally turned to his mother.

"Watch me, bitch."


	14. Chapter 14: New Plans

Chapter 14: New Plans **(written on April 23rd, 2020)**

 **That night...**

Rocky could hear the crickets outside chirping. He couldn't sleep. All he could think about was his stupid mother. Kate told him he had to finish Alpha training. He groaned over and over again. He didn't want to be a part of the Western Pack. The first time he ran away, months ago, he wanted independence. The second time, a week ago, he wanted to escape the past, and he came across the fact that his taste for independence was still alive. Alabaan let him choose his life. The Western Pack didn't.

Because Rocky called his own mother a bitch, she forced him to stay in the old family den. It was essentially prison. He had been sentenced to a lifetime of duties and responsibilities among other things that came with being a pack leader. The second-in-command, Hutch, was guarding the entrance to the den, and as always, he took his job seriously. He was told to keep Rocky from running away, so Hutch closely watched him as he rolled around on a pelt, trying to sleep.

Soon footsteps could be heard outside. Hutch turned around to see a tan she-wolf with blue eyes.

"Who are you?"

"My name is Dani. I hear that Rocky is here. May I speak with him?" Hutch allowed Dani to enter the den. Rocky was surprised to see her. She was the last wolf he thought he'd see at this time. "Hi."

"Hi," he replied. "I figured you wouldn't want to see me again."

"Well... my parents are dead."

"What?" She then nodded.

"Yeah..."

"Are you... are you okay?"

"Umm... I don't know... I'm angry at myself. I should be bawling... but I can't cry. I forgot about them while I was away. I lost my attachment to them... and now they're gone."

"I'm so sorry, Dani." The she-wolf reached in her mouth with her paw and brought out a small bone that held text on its surface. "What is that?" Rocky asked.

"A memory." She held it up to where Rocky could only see a certain part of the text. It read:

 ** _Sincerely, Danielle_**

 ** _P.S. I have a mate now. We love each other dearly._**

"Am I the 'mate'?"

"Yes," said Dani. "Rocky... You're all I have left now. You're the only one who ever cared about me. Like ever. You're my only home. I can't leave you..."

"Are you asking me out?" Dani responded with silence. "Look, let me tell you the truth. I hurt you when we were maintaining a new pack because I wanted you to hate me so much that you would never come back. Why? Well, because I can't mate with you. I want someone I can mate with. I'm not being discriminatory. It's just a matter of what I want, a matter of preferences. In hindsight, I should've broken up with you better than that. Back then, I was different. I didn't care about how it affected you. But I still love you. I just can't... be with you."

"...I understand..." Dani stared at the ground forlornly. Rocky came closer and lifted her head with his snout. Before long they kissed.

" _I'm sorry,_ " Rocky whispered.

"Why did I have to be born this way?" she replied rhetorically.

"And why did I have to be the heir?" he added.

"I don't understand. You're gonna have the whole pack at your paws. Why would you not want that?"

"It's not really worth it... You have to do things. You have to take care of the pack. That's not me."

"Who says you have to take care of them?" said Dani.

"What? Everyone says that!"

"Think about it. If you're pack leader, there's no one who can tell you what to do. The sky is the limit. Fuck whoever says you have to do something. Just let the second-in-command do everything important while you do what you want."

"Huh... I never thought about it that way... But I still don't wanna be pack leader. It still would be too much restriction."

"Hm. What if I sort of became pack leader?"

"What?"

"Yeah. You should become pack leader then basically give all your power to me. You'll become a figurehead just like I was in Briana's pack. You can stay in a den far away from the Western Pack, and I can send you any amount of she-wolves you want, she-wolves you can actually mate with. I know you want to leave the Valley entirely, so if you don't like the idea, it's fine."

"Actually—" Rocky was then interrupted by a thud.

Hutch was flat on the ground, knocked out. On top of him was a light grey wolf. "Alabaan!"

"Come on, Rocky! I'm getting you out of here!"

"Alabaan! Hey, umm..."

"Who's this?" asked Dani.

"That's Alabaan. I met him at Shadow Forest. We've been living together for the past week. He's a nomad." Alabaan looked in between Dani's legs.

"Oh, so this the Dani you've been talking about! Hello!"

"Hi," she greeted back.

"Wow, you sure are a specimen," said Alabaan. "I wonder how big your cumshots are." Dani blushed and looked down.

"Umm, she's not that open about it," said Rocky.

"Oh, sorry! Where are my manners? I'm sorry, Dani."

"It's fine," Dani replied.

"Anyway, c'mon, Rocky, let's go. You can bring her too."

"Actually, Alabaan. I'm staying..."

"What?!" Dani looked up again and smiled. "Why?! I thought you hated this place?"

"I do. But Dani and I have found a way to make it better. You should join us! We'll have unlimited power."

"I can't believe you, Rocky!" Alabaan exclaimed. "I thought we were close!"

"What's wrong? Don't you want to join us? You'll get any she-wolf you want! You might even get Dani."

"As fucking great as that sounds... I... I can't be in a pack. I go where I wanna go. You may have found a compromise that works for you, but I can't accept it."

"Oh... I see... I guess this is where we part ways then..."

"I can't believe you, Rocky. I came here to get you out because I thought you were like me. We had so much fun together. These past few days were the best I've ever had. We were inseparable. But then you suddenly decided to do what you told me a thousand times you would never do! You told me you would never become pack leader, that you would never return to your pack!"

"I'm sorry, Alabaan... You're welcome to visit any time you want..."

"No, you can keep your shitty Western females! I'm outta' here." Alabaan stormed out of the den, walking past Hutch. Rocky turned to Dani.

"I don't understand... Why wouldn't he join us?" Dani gave Rocky another kiss.

"Who knows."

"I hope I didn't hurt him. He's my friend."

"Real friends are supposed to accept you no matter what you do," said Dani. "Alabaan denounced you."

"I guess it makes sense that you would know that."

"Yeah..."

Unexpectedly, a group of muscular male wolves entered the den all at once. The determined look on their faces let Dani know that they were ready to cause trouble. She got in front of Rocky and growled. "Who are you guys?"

"Move!" one of them yelled. Dani went to attack the leader, but one of them grabbed her by the scruff and threw her into the wall. The impact caused part of the den wall to crumble, and pieces of the earth fell down and immobilized her. Dani cried in pain. She was too weak to stand and break herself free. The wolves that just came were undoubtedly Alphas.

"Rocky!" Dani screamed. Rocky was horrified. He knew he had no chance with experienced Alphas, so he lowered himself as much as possible.

"Stand up!" said the leader. "You're coming with us!"

"What's going on?" Rocky asked meekly.

"We're not waiting for your mom. You're becoming pack leader before dawn! And you are going to listen to us 'til the day you die!"

 **Meanwhile...**

Along the border between the North and West, an Alpha from the Northern Pack walked casually. He was an experienced border patroller. He knew his route extremely well. If anything was off on that route, he would know.

"Oof! Holy shit..." A horrid smell swiftly entered his nostrils. He scanned his surroundings and saw nothing. Then he felt a warm sensation on one of his paw pads. It was stained red... His eyeballs followed the long stream until they came across the source. It was covered somewhat in leaves and twigs, but it was clear what it was: a she-wolf... But it wasn't just a she-wolf...


	15. Chapter 15: No Regrets

Chapter 15: No Regrets **(written on April 24th, 2020)**

 **An hour before dawn...**

"Kate! Humphrey!" yelled Hutch. "Wake up!" Hutch came to the pack leader's den and howled. The echo woke the two wolves up.

"Huh? Hutch? What's going on?" asked Kate.

"Kate! It's your son! He's been kidnapped!"

"WHAT?! What happened?!"

"I was knocked out! When I woke up, he was gone! There was another wolf with us, a friend of Rocky I think... She was knocked out too and badly injured. I got some Alphas to take her to the pack healers."

"Oh, my gosh! These kidnappers must not escape! Put our Alphas on alert!"

"Already done, ma'am!"

"Good! Look around our old den! I'll search through the eastern side of the territory! Humphrey, go search through the western side!"

"Okay," Humphrey replied.

 **Later...**

Humphrey made his way to the western side. He sniffed the ground, trying to pick up Rocky's scent. He hated his scent. It reminded him too much of Den 23. Humphrey wasn't really in the mood to find Rocky. Rocky was supposed to be dead, but a group of Alphas had to ruin his chances for a new litter. All he wanted was to start over, but it seemed like that was never going to happen now. He accepted his fate which made him put at least a little effort into finding Rocky.

He was nearing Shadow Forest when he heard rustling and sounds of struggle. In front of Humphrey was a raised piece of the ground. He went into its shadow and gazed around a corner. A group of six wolves was walking towards Shadow Forest. One of them was Rocky. The others were beefy Alphas. Humphrey recognized two of them. There were the Alphas who brought Rocky to the West. His blood boiled. The Alphas ruined his chance at changing his fate. Humphrey clenched his forepaws and took deep breaths.

But he figured his breaths were too loud after one of Alphas stopped in their tracks. He signaled the others to stop as well.

"Hey, guys!" He then took a whiff. "Someone's here..." Humphrey decided to reveal himself. He stepped out from behind the wall. The Alphas growled.

"Hello, Humphrey," said the leader. It was the same wolf that said to Kate that she was breaking the law. "Kate sent you, didn't she?"

"It's clear that you guys don't want to be followed," said Humphrey, "if you're willing to walk through Shadow Forest. Question is why?"

"Your mate is an illegitimate leader. Even you know it. We're taking him to a place where we won't be bothered." One of the Alphas opened his mouth, revealing an ancient bone. "That bone contains the Pack Leader's Oath. When the first light of the day comes, he will read that aloud and become pack leader the right way."

"But he's still a Beta. The law says he has to be an Alpha."

"We're picking our poison! A Beta now is ten times better than a she-wolf for the next few weeks. Besides, if she can take power whenever she wants, what's to stop her from keeping that power?"

Humphrey thought to himself. He didn't want Rocky to ever become pack leader. Never should anyone of his blood have a position of power. He couldn't allow it. He charged at them, but an Alpha headbutted him in the stomach before he got close to the leader. Humphrey fell to the ground and struggled to stand back up. The wind was knocked out of him. "You've been an Omega for a large chunk of your life. You don't have anywhere near the foundational strength that we have. You have no chance." The big Alphas then left, leaving Humphrey who was struggling to breathe.

 **Meanwhile...**

Kate was looking through the eastern side. So far, she was coming up empty at every turn. No suspicious scents, tracks, or anything. It was worrying her beyond belief. She already lost Rocky once. She didn't want to lose him again. She hoped that Humphrey had better luck.

In the heat of the moment, she didn't realize Douglas was nearby until he was right next to her.

"Kate?"

"Oh, yikes! I'm so sorry..." Kate blushed and attempted to walk away, but Douglas stopped her.

"Is everything all right?"

"No. My son is gone."

"Again?"

"This time he was kidnapped," Kate replied.

"What?! What is wrong with wolves here?"

"If I had to guess, it was the same Alphas who were against me becoming pack leader."

"Geez, this place is crazy."

"It normally isn't. As much as I hate to admit it, this is Rocky's fault. If he didn't run away, this would've never happened."

"Why did he run away?"

"He found out that his dad... wasn't really his dad."

"Ohhh... That's umm... So that's what Humphrey was talking about."

"What?"

"I don't know if you remember when we first met. You came into the den when Humphrey and I were talking to each other a few days ago. That's when you told me your son was dead. Well, before you came in, Humphrey mentioned that your son had run away and that it was because of something really bad that happened in the past."

"Oh. I hope that was the only time he mentioned personal things. Stuff about our past should be kept between us. No one needs to know how Rocky came to be."

"Well, actually I don't think it was the only time. The first time was when he and I first met which was the night before I first met you. He was exiting the den, and I came to him. I remember it vividly because he had a bone in his mouth, and he seemed like he was in a hurry to do something. He couldn't induct me into the pack that night because he had to 'undo something' in regards to some family matters."

"'Undo something'? I don't know what he's talking about."

"It wasn't my business, so I distanced myself from it. But it was weird."

"Wait... You said he had a bone in his mouth when he came out of our old den?"

"Yeah."

"What kind of bone was it?" she asked.

"Umm... It was small, covered in puppy marks." The truth set in Kate. Her heart dropped.

"Oh, my gosh..."

"Um, are you okay?" Kate stared at her forepaws.

" _You got to be kidding me?_ " she muttered. " _...You motherfucker..._ " Douglas tilted his head.

"Is there something I should know?" Kate then closed her eyes and smiled. It was followed by a long hysterical laugh.

"HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! I'M SUCH A FUCKING FOOL!"

"Um..." Douglas became worried. He didn't know what to think. But at the speed of light, Kate came closer and grabbed his chest with her paws. In no time, she kissed him hard, forcing their lips together. Douglas was terrified, but he surrendered and gave in. Kate was attractive, and although he didn't like her like that, it was still pleasurable to be kissed by a high-ranking she-wolf.

Kate knew she was betraying one of her own codes, but for one moment, she didn't care. She had just found out that Humphrey had done more wrong she did. In fact, she could kiss Douglas a thousand times, and it still wouldn't make up for Humphrey's wrongdoing. She felt vindicated and freed. The enormous weight of guilt ceased to exist.

After a minute, she let Douglas go, and they separated.

"Come on! Let's find my son!"


	16. Chapter 16: Twists

Chapter 16: Twists **(written from April 27th to April 28th, 2020)**

 **At dawn...**

In the Northern territory, Alabaan continued to walk away from his former partner. He became angrier with every step away Rocky. Surprisingly, that young wolf meant something to him. Alabaan usually never cared about anyone, but Rocky was different. He had never met anyone so similar. It was like they had a telepathic connection. But now that connection was severed. But Alabaan figured it must've not been as deep a connection as he had thought. Alabaan was no pack wolf. He had no long-term attachments. The only thing that ever came close to one was Rocky. Alabaan thought the Beta wanted to be his sidekick or partner-in-crime. He had plans to teach him more things. At first, Rocky wanted to leave the Valley, but quickly, they developed a bond that kept Rocky in place. Then, out of nowhere, Rocky wanted to settle down at his birthplace.

" _Maybe it was that weird she-wolf, Dani,_ " Alabaan muttered to himself. " _That bitch could have manipulated him while we were separated. Still... Rocky is definitely smart enough to make his own decisions. And he chose wrong! Living a life of luxury is nice, but it ain't an authentic way to live. If there's a she-wolf I want, I'll find her even if she's in hell. Having every she-wolf at your disposal takes all the fun out of it! Sometimes I know who I want. Other times I'm an opportunist. Either way, I hunt. It's a game. Rocky has no sense of a game!_ "

A smell then entered Alabaan's nose. It was a Northerner scent. He changed his velocity to keep his own scent from going to the Northerner. But after a minute, the Northerner scent kept getting stronger. It was coming from multiple directions. He was surrounded! His heart rate increased threefold once he realized he was being tracked down. He had walked into a trap!

The Northerners were the most skilled hunters in the Valley, and they were the strongest. Alabaan knew that more than anyone. For the past year, every time he entered the Northern territory, they always attempted to catch him. They were never successful since Alabaan was quick at throwing off his scent. But this time, it seemed like they were ready for him. They were closing in fast. Some of them could be seen on the horizon. He happened to be in a bad spot where he couldn't do anything to weaken his scent. There were no puddles of water, and the nearest river was surrounded by naked hills. It was like the Northerners had waited for the grey wolf to step foot in the area.

Realizing escape was impossible, Alabaan came to a halt and let the Northerners pin him to the ground. The group's leader walked up to him and introduced himself.

"Hi. My name is Daniel. I'm the second-in-command of the Northern Pack."

"Does it look like I give a fuck?"

"You're quite a hard wolf to find. But death will come easier." The Alphas pinned all of his legs down as Daniel approached the grey wolf. He placed his claws on Alabaan's neck. "I have orders to bring you in dead or alive. Give me one reason why I should do the latter."

"May I ask why you guys want me so bad?"

"Well, you should know, criminal. You've been on our wanted list for a long time, but after a brutally murdered she-wolf was found on our southwestern border with your heavy scent, I knew it was time to act fast and take advantage of this unique area." Daniel then pushed his claws in, making Alabaan scream.

"IT WASN'T ME, OKAY?!"

"What?" Daniel tilted his head. "Don't bullshit me!"

"I don't kill wolves! Has there been any evidence of me killing others?!"

"It doesn't matter. Even if you're telling the truth, you're still going to die. There are plenty of other crimes we know you have committed, and all of them together are equal to multiple death penalties."

"At least catch the real murderer! I told him not to go too far, but he did it! Now she's gone..."

"It's not just her that's gone," Daniel replied. "She was carrying an unborn pup..."

" _Oh, fuck..._ "

"Yes... and you killed them..."

"I DIDN'T KILL THEM!" he shouted.

"Why should I believe you?"

"I shouldn't be the only scent on that she-wolf..." Daniel thought back to the meeting he had with Matt and the border patroller who reported a dead pregnant wolf with Alabaan's scent. The border patroller took note of a second scent that was found inside the vagina, a scent of another individual. The second scent was disregarded since catching Alabaan before he escaped was a much more urgent matter to discuss.

Daniel cleared his throat and asked Alabaan a question.

"Who is this other wolf?"

"His name is Rocky." Daniel was shocked to hear that name.

"Are you seriously saying that the heir to the Western Pack committed this murder? You're crazy!"

"Unbeknownst to all of you, Rocky is crazy. You said it yourself. I'm a dead wolf no matter what, so I ain't saying this to save my ass or anything. If you don't believe me, have somebody sniff him to confirm that the other scent was him. At that point, you can't deny that Rocky was a part of it." Daniel was astonished. He backed away from the grey wolf and looked at the Alphas holding him down.

"Take him to Den 23, and make sure he's secured," Daniel ordered.

 **Meanwhile...**

In Shadow Forest, a noise awoke Shadow. He could see a group of big wolves passing through the vicinity. He was in Sasha's den for the third time. Two of those times were for the night. While Sasha continued to sleep, Shadow sneaked his way outside to check out what was happening.

"Alright!" said the leader of the buff Alphas. "I think we're safe here." The Alphas made a circular formation around Rocky. The leader then gave him the bone that held the Pack Leader's Oath. "It's dawn now! Say these words aloud! Hurry! Before somebody finds us!"

"Somebody did," said Shadow. The big Alphas gasped. The leader glared at him.

"Not too many wolves can sneak up on us!"

"What's going here? Rocky? Is that you?"

"They're forcing me to become pack leader today!" Rocky cried.

"What?!" One of them then punched Rocky in the face.

"It's none of your damn business, wolf! Get lost!" said the leader.

"I live here, sir, and I see you're doing something against someone else's will. I won't stand for that." The leader cracked the joints in his forepaws. He came closer to Shadow until their noses were almost touching.

"What are you gonna do about it, old wolf? Hmm?!"

"This." He headbutted the leader in the head at lightning speed. He dropped to the ground in pain. The other four Alphas charged at Shadow in response. One wolf came too vulnerable, and Shadow managed to throw him away by grabbing his scruff. Another was barking and growling too close, so Shadow nicked him on the tip of the nose. But a third wolf grabbed one of his hind legs and pulled really hard. Shadow slid and fell to his back, and the third wolf began biting his chest. But after two seconds into it, the third wolf was being pulled away. The leader pulled his tail.

"He's mine!" he shouted. The leader grabbed Shadow and threw him into a tree trunk. When he went back to the ground, his broken paw landed in an awkward position.

"Ahhh! FUCK!" Shadow cried. He lifted his right arm to see the damage. He couldn't move his paw at all. It seemed that the bone in his paw had broken much further as now the end of his foot was dangling like a leaf. Shadow stood up on three legs and got into a submissive stance.

"Serves you right," said the leader. Suddenly, he was attacked! Sasha pounced on him and started ripping apart his face. The leader managed to break free, but his face was bloody. He and as well as the big Alphas were horrified and frightened beyond belief as Sasha came to Shadow's side and protected him. They had never seen a she-wolf so ferocious.

"YEAH! RUN, YOU PIECES OF SHIT! RUN! I WILL TEAR YOUR BALLS OFF! I WILL FUCKING KILL YOU, BITCH! YOU DON'T MESS WITH MY FRIEND!" Four of the big Alphas, including the leader, didn't want a piece of her, so they fled screaming. One wolf was bold enough to charge, but before he could get within a foot of her, the ground beneath him collapsed, and he fell into one of Sasha's tunnels. He squealed and yipped as rock and dirt went in with him and crushed him.

"Wow..." Rocky couldn't believe what he just witnessed. "You're amazing, whoever you are!"

"I'm Sasha. You're free now."

"Thanks a million!" Rocky picked up the ancient bone and went back towards Kate and Humphrey's old den where he was taken from. He hoped that Dani was alright. The wolf who fell in the tunnel exited from the mouth of Sasha's den and disappeared as well. Sasha decided to tend to Shadow's paw.

"On a scale from zero to ten, how much does it hurt?"

"What Rocky said: a million! Fuck! Fuck!"

"Okay. Okay. Let me see, Shadow." She examined his dangling paw. It appeared that it wasn't connected to anything inside the skin. Shadow was in distress.

"I can't feel my paw! I can't feel my paw! That's it, Sasha! I'm fucked up! Ohh, I'll never walk properly again..."

"Relax!" she told him before muttering. " _This looks weird for a broken paw... Wait a minute..._ "

"What is it?" he asked.

"Shadow... do you trust me?"

"What?"

"Do you trust me?" she repeated. He realized she was about to take a leap of faith. Shadow looked into her magnificent lilac eyes, breathing heavily. He looked deep into her pupils and saw his reflection. Seeing that made him take own leap of faith by expanding his trust.

" _I trust you,_ " he whispered, scared of what was next.

"Alrighty... I need you to hold your arm as still as you possibly can."

"Okay."

"I mean it... 'cause this can go south real quick. Here, take my tail." Sasha moved her body until her midline was almost perpendicular to the direction Shadow was facing. This allowed her to bring her tail close to Shadow's muzzle as she worked on his paw. "Bite my tail when you feel the pain," she instructed. Shadow nodded. "Alright, here we go..."

Shadow laid his chest on top of his right arm to keep it steady. Using her forepaws, she grabbed Shadow's dangling part and pushed it back into the place it was supposed to be.

"HMMMMM!" Shadow bit into Sasha's bushy tail. Immediately, she had a sense of the pain he was going through. In a way, it helped her figure out where the more sensitive parts of the affected area were. Unfortunately, it was those parts that she sought as she needed to move the distal piece of his paw towards the proximal piece.

She pushed in the unconnected piece more and more. She felt the pain in tail increase too, and it encouraged her to go farther, so she could end the process faster. After two more big pushes, there was a loud pop. His paw snapped into place and was no longer dangling. It also no longer looked broken. "I... I can feel my paw again!" Shadow exclaimed. "The paresthesia is going away! I don't understand... It's broken, but it doesn't look broken anymore."

"That's because it never was broken," Sasha replied. "I realized that it was actually dislocated. It seems that Alpha almost made your paw come off completely, so I figured I had to push it back in. Thankfully, it worked. Your paw should heal a lot quicker now."

"I don't what to say. I don't have the words... _I... I can trust you.._." Sasha then kissed Shadow on the cheek.

"No need to say anything. You were brave today too."

"Yeah but... you're making me look like a has-been." Sasha chuckled in response.

"Stop. Heh, heh. You know you've been through more hell. Besides, I dislocated your paw in the first place, so I'm only cleaning up my own mess."

"Well... we both know how much of a mess I am. I can't think of anything more fulfilling than watching you clean me up." Sasha looked at him and smirked. She carefully pounced on him.

The two wolves kissed each other and cuddled repeatedly under the tree. Shadow's defenses were now down. How could trust someone again... Any anxiety he had with her ceased to exist. He wasn't nervous about embracing her. She showed him a path to peace that he hadn't walked on in a long time. A younger version of Shadow took over as he surrendered and allowed her to rub his chest and abdomen. His mind became clear. She brought out a brighter life, a happier life, a life of love.

At this point, Sasha had become a full-fledged member of Shadow Forest.

 **Meanwhile...**

Den 23 was the average-sized den that lay within the face of a cliff on the outskirts of the Northern Pack. It was once a space that was used as a temporary residence, but for the last year, it had served as a place for keeping prisoners sentenced to death. This morning, there was only one prisoner: Alabaan. His body was stretched out across the floor. He was on his back while all four of his limbs were fastened by caribou tendons strapped to heavy rocks. There was one rock for each limb.

The Northern pack leader, Matt, entered the den, eager to see someone he had been trying to find for ages. He walked up to Alabaan's head and sat down

"Never thought I'd ever find you. Enjoying your stay?"

"Yeah... I guess," Alabaan replied.

"What is your name?"

"Alabaan," he answered calmly.

"Well, Alabaan, Daniel told me about what you said about Rocky. I've sent the border patroller who discovered the she-wolf to test your claim. If your claim is correct, pack law states that he must die along with you. It would be very unprecedented if what you say turns out to be true. If Rocky dies, the royal bloodline of the Western Pack ends, and it may create a power vacuum that might destroy the West. It may meet its death." Alabaan nodded. "Are you afraid of death, sir?"

"Hmm... I fear boredom more."

"I see... It shows... We've been chasing you for over a year. All the stuff you've done... How do you sleep so soundly knowing you've traumatized so many lives? And now you've allowed a she-wolf to die on our borders, a pregnant she-wolf... What was her name?" Matt asked.

"Vyni."

"That's a beautiful name, and I bet her son would've been a handsome pup, but we'll never know... In the Northern Pack, we cherish the unborn. They are equal to the oldest wolf as much as the oldest wolf is equal to them. They are the future after all. And I'm glad that, soon, you will no longer be alive to mess with them anymore. Plus, I'm glad that, before you die, this den will be open to your victims, so they can come in here and spit in your face. I'm sure Kate and Humphrey would love to do that. I would tell them that I've finally found you, but I'm curious about how this Rocky situation will play out. When Winston was around, we made an agreement where we agreed on a semi-unification of our two packs. This treaty allows me to legally send troops into the Western Pack. I figure if the Western Pack collapses, I could easily take control of the territories. However, if you're wrong about Rocky, I will personally kill you for lying to me, and you won't enjoy any second of it."

"Fair enough. But I doubt any pain you could inflict would be worse than anything I've experienced as a puppy."

"Is that so? What exactly have you experienced?"

"Well, try to imagine this," said Alabaan. "You're a little pup inside a cave. You've never left this cave. You've only known darkness. It becomes your friend. Imagine being stuck in a corner forever watching your mom get beaten to death. You see your father, and he only knows how to keep you in your place. You only know how to be submissive, but it's never enough. You've seen blood so much, you've become desensitized, but somehow you're always still afraid. Even if it seems your parents get along, they always break into a fight where the father never loses. He owns everything. _He owns... you._ You can't talk. You can't even talk at all. You only know screams. You only know the footsteps of when you're about to get your ass beat. You wish you would die. You wish you would've never been born. You just suffer and suffer and suffer and suffer. You get beat until your bones break. You get forced to suck a dick. You get forced to masturbate until you become addicted, and you're stuck with addiction for the rest of your life. You ask yourself: _why should you care? Why should you live?_ Then imagine when you're ready to die, you're ready to end it all in the most epic fashion, your dad is suddenly gone. _Poof!_ The greatest weight is lifted from your shoulders... but you're left with nothing but the memories of suffering since birth... What would you do with that? How would you view the world after that? _How could you care about the world after that?_ "

Matt stiffened his lips as he shook with fear. He had realized a dark truth, something from his past, something that Alabaan was alluding to. He couldn't let anyone know... Not Humphrey. Not Kate. Not even Daniel. Without a reply, he exited Den 23, unclear on what he should do with the grey wolf. Alabaan meanwhile smiled and laughed. Despite how much everyone else wanted to portray him as the evil in the world, they all weren't far behind. Hypocrisy knows no bounds.


	17. Chapter 17: Betrayals

Chapter 17: Betrayals **(written from May 7th to May 8th, 2020)**

Not long after Rocky exited Shadow Forest, he came across his mother with a limping dark wolf he had never seen before. Upon seeing Rocky, Kate went and hugged him.

"Thank goodness you're alright! What the hell happened?!"

"A group of zealots kidnapped me, and they were trying to force me to read the Pack Leader's Oath. If I became pack leader, they said they were going to use me as a puppet for their own plans." He dropped the bone at her feet. Douglas picked it up.

"Where are they now? I'm gonna tear them limb from limb!" Kate vowed.

"Well, somebody already did that."

"What?"

"They took me to Shadow Forest, so they could force me without anybody around, but two other wolves were there, and they saved me! They beat the shit out of 'em! That's how I was able to get here."

"Who are they?" Kate asked.

"Just some wolves named Shadow and Sasha. How is Dani?"

"Is that your friend? She's at the Pack Healers' Den for She-Wolves. I don't know her condition. I was busy looking for you."

"Well, thank you," said her son. He never thought he would ever be satisfied to see his mother. "Where's Dad?"

"Soon to be in hell. Not only am I gonna tear those zealots limb from limb but your father as well."

The three wolves traveled to the old family den where a mess lay before them. As Kate made a summoning howl to get Humphrey, Douglas tried to fix the wall. He pushed all of the rocks and dirt away from the center of the room and attempted to reassemble the wall piece by piece, but some of the damage seemed too extensive.

"This looks compromised. Some cracks have made it to the ceiling," Douglas informed. "I can't say with confidence that this den will last much longer. A good enough rainstorm may cause a cave-in."

"You're a den builder?" said Rocky.

"Aye, one of the many talents I wish I did not have."

"Well, good riddance. I hate this place."

"Speaking of hate," said Kate. Humphrey entered the den.

"I see you've found Rocky."

"I have found other things too," she added.

"Like what?"

"Well, I guess one of them would be... that you tried to make me think that Rocky was dead, so I wouldn't find him." Kate could see her mate freeze and take a big gulp of air.

"...Now, Kate... don't be making crazy accusations..."

"Oh, I would never make a crazy accusation if it weren't for the play bone Douglas saw you take!" After glancing at Douglas, Humphrey closed his eyes and directed his head toward the ground. He attempted a straight face in order to hide his guilt. "This is like unforgivable territory! You were willing to keep our son away from me and lie to me about it!"

"Okay... Okay... I'm sorry! But please try to understand..."

"Enlighten me! How can you possibly justify that?! He's our son!"

"An adult son who can live on his own!"

"He's still our son, Humphrey!"

"Kate... He's not _our_ son. We've talked about this..."

"Yeah, in conversations where I'm always shut out! You know how much fucking pain I went through grieving! You literally hurt me! You hurt me, your mate!"

"Well... that's what you get for being attached to him! Of course, you're going to get hurt!" Humphrey yelled.

"Oh, yeah, why on Earth would I be attached to our own son?! Pfft! Silly me!"

"For the last time... HE IS NOT... OUR SON!"

Suddenly, three Alphas came to the mouth of the den. They all smelled distinctly Northern. Kate tried to meet them, but they entered and walked past her.

"Umm, excuse you! You can just walk in our den!"

"Actually, we can," one of them answered. "The treaty with Winston allows us to reasonably search and seize anything and anyone who we deem as a suspect."

"Is somebody here accused of something?" asked Humphrey. They pointed at Rocky.

"Excuse me? Of what crime?" said Kate.

"A pregnant she-wolf has been killed within our borders. It was likely a rape." Douglas, Kate, and Humphrey all gasped. "Two individual scents were found on the corpse. Our pack leader has reason to suspect that Rocky is one of those two individuals."

"Holy hell!" Humphrey exclaimed.

"I know Rocky. He would never do such a thing," Kate replied. "I assure you that Matt is mistaken."

"We have the ability to know if that's true." The smallest of the trio walked up to Kate. "This border patroller discovered the body and knows the scents. He is here to confirm Matt's suspicions. It'll only take a second."

"By all means," said Kate.

The small border patroller approached Rocky and took a whiff. It took less than a second for the wolf to be conclusive.

"It's him. No doubt."

"What?! I demand that a Western smell the corpse!" Kate insisted. "How do we know you aren't here just to frame my son or something?!"

"No," said Humphrey. "That fake burial you saw, Matt did that for me. If he thinks Rocky is guilty of something, he means it. I think these guys are legit." Kate then turned to Rocky.

"Did you kill her?"

"No! I don't quite know what they're talking about!" said Rocky

"What do you know then? What have you been doing while you were away? You know a crime like this is punishable only by death! If you did this, I can't fucking protect you!" Rocky thought to himself. He remembered Alabaan mounting Vyni before he got captured by the Western Alphas. They had to be talking about Vyni, and if Vyni was dead, he was sure Alabaan had something to do with it.

"I'd like to point out that his scent was found inside the vagina," said the border patroller.

"No! It's not what you think!" said Rocky. "What we did was consensual! It's the other guy! He did it!"

"Both scents were equally fresh. Also, we have caught the 'other guy,' and he says _you_ did it, and if Matt believes him then—"

"That's a fucking lie! You gotta be kidding me!"

"It doesn't matter anyway. He and you are the only ones connected to the crime. Further investigation of the scene places you just as close as he is to the body. Whether you were the main actor or not, you are still going down."

"What?! Mom, do something!"

"There's... nothing I can do, son," said Kate. She was flabbergasted. "What have you done...?"

"You don't actually believe this bullshit, do you?"

"The evidence against you is pretty damning... The fact that you would even associate yourself with this 'other guy' astounds me."

"This 'other guy' that he's referring to," a Northerner added, "is a criminal we've been trying to catch for a year. He's been directly involved in more crimes than anyone ever has in the North. There's no way Rocky would not know that, thus we believe Rocky knowingly took part in this particular crime."

"Tell me," Kate said to Rocky. "Did you know some of his crimes?" Rocky froze. His body language gave an obvious answer, but Rocky tried to deny it.

"No, I didn't it..."

"You did, didn't you?! Oh, my goodness, Rocky! What the fuck were you thinking?! THIS IS FUCKING DEATH WE'RE TALKING ABOUT!" Kate screamed.

"But... I'm telling you! I didn't do the crime that the Northerners are saying!" Kate felt betrayed. It was like her mate was right all along about Rocky. She didn't believe him. Earlier she had mourned for his death which turned out to be fake. Now she mourned for a different kind of death, the death of her concern for him. Rocky had become a stranger to her.

The Northerners came to Rocky and took him away. Douglas watched Kate fall to her knees and cry. He was going to console her, but her mate beat him to it. The dark grey wolf felt that he was vindicated.

" _There, there, Kate,_ " he whispered.

" _You were right, Humphrey,_ " said Kate. " _And I was about to make him pack leader..._ "

" _He's the son of a vile wolf. It's in his nature. It was inevitable that all of his behavioral issues would culminate in this._ "

" _But... Jenny?_ "

" _She's an Omega. She lacks the will to act on grisly thoughts. Rocky, on the other paw, was an Alpha, or at least he was supposed to be. He taught under you, and he still couldn't break from his hereditary obscenity._ " Humphrey wiped her tears off and nuzzled her mane. With his paw, he reached out and rubbed her slit. Although Kate moaned, she shook her head. " _It's not too late,_ " Humphrey continued, " _to restart..._ "

"No!" Kate replied. "I kissed him..."

"What...?"

" _I kissed him..._ "

"Kissed who?"

"Douglas..." Promptly, Humphrey struck Kate in the eye. The blow knocked her off her feet and profoundly frightened her. Humphrey, the once fun-loving Omega, gave her a black eye... It was like a whole new wolf appeared.

He glanced at Douglas. The former Rogue became as submissive as possible.

"Humphrey... don't be mad at him!" said Kate. She held a paw on her eye and backed away from him.

"I'm not... I can tell... You did it willingly! You unfaithful bitch! Everything I've done... EVERYTHING... I did, I did it for us! I lied... for us! Yes, I kept Rocky away, but I did it for us! Every time I argued with you... I did it in the interests of us! I did all of this because I loved you! I wanted things to be perfect! Because you were perfect! On that train where we howled, you were perfect! But I was far wrong... I did my sins in the interest of us. You did yours in the interest of yourself! I was trying to reinscribe our story, to right the wrongs of the rapist, and you spit in my face for doing that?! FUCK YOU! I cried and cried every night about the fact that we couldn't have the family we were supposed to have. But we have a chance in this mating season to start over! We could try for a Claudette, a Derrick, or something. And I kept trying to push you because our own family is what we desperately wanted! And right when it seems the rapist's pups have left us for good, you pull this shit on me?! I can take this stress anymore! You were never worth it, Kate! NEVER! All that pain I went through for a whole year! GET OUT! GET OUT OF MY DEN! NOWWW! WE ARE OVER!"

Kate and Douglas ran out. Humphrey collapsed and cried. Just at that moment, the den's ceiling collapsed, and dust was launched into the air. Luckily, most of the rock and dirt missed Humphrey. He was left with no scratches. The light of the morning sun reached the floor for the first time, and Humphrey lifted his head from the puddle of tears. With the weight of Kate and her pups off his shoulders, his mind became clearer than ever.

As dust and dirt swirled around him, he pressed a paw against the side of his abdomen where he was still bleeding from a scrape he received after one of the beefy Alphas knocked him down. He spread the blood across his chest. He needed a defined identity as an Alpha. Without Rocky, there was no heir. Kate couldn't hold her legitimacy for long. It seemed only natural that Humphrey would take her place.

He had some campaigning to do...

* * *

 **(With the addition of this chapter, Desires 2 is now longer than the original Desires)**


	18. Chapter 18: Long Live the Heir

Chapter 18: Long Live the Heir **(written on May 10th, 2020)**

 **The next day...**

Kate was in Jenny's den. Before her mother came last night, Jenny believed Rocky was dead from the fake burial. Kate explained to her what Humphrey did which led to the reason why Kate was kicked out of their den.

"Wolf marriages last a lifetime... but Humphrey and I are over."

"You're not the only one who has sinned," Jenny replied forlornly. She stretched out her forelimbs and exposed her elbows. They were numerous slashes on the posterior side of her arms.

"Oh, Jenny..."

The Omega had made them herself after she learned of Rocky's death that Humphrey faked.

"So Dad did this," said Jenny. Kate stayed quiet. Jenny hated the fact that her mother wasn't looking as upset as she wanted. "IS IT NOT TERRIBLE THAT I DID THIS TO MYSELF 'CAUSE OF HIM?!"

"It's not what you think," Kate replied. "Rocky might be dead anyway..."

"What?!"

Kate explained that her brother had been charged with a serious crime. Jenny hyperventilated, and her mother could see her eyeing her arms. In a split second, the she-wolf started biting and scratching her elbows, inducing them to bleed again. Kate pounced on her and pinned her arms against the floor. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Jenny screamed.

"You're an Omega. You should've been trained to deal with this kind of thing."

"Not all Omegas have their brothers killed... twice, let alone after they find out their father is fake."

"You know... if Rocky became pack leader, you would have been the Prime Omega." Jenny kept herself silenced. "I'm sorry... for keeping your true parentage a secret. It was me. Humphrey wanted to tell you guys much sooner, but I was scared... I was afraid that if you learned what happened, you would see yourselves as a disgrace."

"Well... unlike Dad, you wanted to take care of us despite how disgraceful we were, so... I forgive you."

Forgiveness. It warmed Kate's heart. Although Humphrey may have been right about Rocky, Jenny's appreciation proved that taking care of the rapist's pups was worth it to some extent. It made her feel less guilty. It made the first good feeling she had in a very long time.

But it wouldn't last long.

Today, after the sun established itself in the sky, a Northern Alpha came to the den.

"Is this the pack leader, Kate?" Kate cleared her throat and answered.

"Yes, it is."

"I come to you on behalf of Matt. He would like you to know that your son's sentencing starts soon. It is open for anyone to watch."

"I'm coming."

"So am I!" said Jenny.

 **Later...**

Most of the North was flat, but the center of the Northern Pack, where the highest-ranking Alphas resided, lay inside a box canyon surrounded mostly by cliffs. Near the edge of one of the cliffs, a small crowd sat in front of one wolf standing on a rock. Jenny and Kate saw the crowd and joined them. The light grey wolf on the rock started to speak.

"I am Daniel," he said, "second-in-command of the Northern Pack. I am today to inform everyone that a great tragedy has occurred. A she-wolf by the name of Vyni was raped to death inside of our borders." The crowd gasped. Daniel picked up a bone with his paw and began reading the inscriptions. "We don't know if she was a formal citizen of the Northern Pack, but her death is unacceptable regardless. If the she-wolf's death wasn't enough, she happened to be carrying a pup inside. Because of that, the maximum penalty is death by multiple cliff-jumps. Thanks to our objective investigation Alphas, we have concluded that two specific individuals were responsible for this horrific occurrence. One of them is a criminal known to most Northern wolves as the Drifter. Until recently, he had evaded every one of our attempts to catch him. For this particular crime, our investigation Alphas concluded that the Drifter, named Alabaan, was merely a..." Daniel looked closer at the bone. "Excuse me." Kate and Jenny exchanged glances. They wondered if something was wrong. Daniel cleared his throat. He looked bewildered. "Umm... Alabaan was merely... an accomplice... and he will only be sentenced to life in solitary confinement. Our investigation Alphas concluded that the heir to the Western Pack, Rocky, was the perpetrator, the one who killed Vyni. Therefore, he is hereby sentenced to death by multiple cliff-jumps." Kate and Jenny couldn't believe it. Rocky had a worse sentence than the reoffending well-known criminal. It made no sense. It was no wonder why Daniel looked confused. The second-in-command was caught off guard.

Rocky was then brought forth. He was escorted by two big Alphas. The three of them walked through the space between Daniel and the crowd and approached the edge of the cliff. When they made it to the edge, Daniel stopped them. Rocky could see all of the dens inside the canyon. Kate could only cry as she watched. The cliff edge was the same edge that Kate had accidentally fallen from two years ago that led to her kidnapping by Matt. The impact from the fall had knocked her out. She knew personally that it was a dangerous fall. What made the punishment horrible was that it was not an immediately lethal fall. A wolf had to fall down the cliff for as many times as he or she needed to die. The North was known for its brutal punishments, and this one was one of its worst.

"Any last words?" Daniel asked. Rocky glanced at his mother then shook his head. "As you wish, Beta."

"I can't watch!" said Jenny. She winced.

"Push him!" ordered Daniel. The two Alphas around Rocky shoved him off the edge. It was a twenty-five-foot drop. The Beta screamed. Then there was a loud thud. Rocky landed on his stomach. The wind was knocked out of him. Although they couldn't see, they could hear him struggling to breathe. Rocky tried to stand up but he couldn't. The two Alphas ran down a slope, grabbed him by his scruff, and dragged him back up. They went to the same place at the top and shoved him again. This time, both of his front legs broke. He was still awake but suffering from a concussion. The process was repeated again. All four of his legs broke along with some ribs. Rocky appeared unresponsive. The two Alphas checked his pulse and inspected him.

"Cause of death: internal bleeding," one of them announced.

"Only three jumps?" said a Northern female in the crowd. "That's below average. Pathetic."

Jenny and Kate hugged each other, sobbing and feeling tremendous sadness. They were the only ones who cried at all in the crowd.

The heir to the Western Pack was gone. The royal bloodline was lost forever.

 **Later...**

Dani lay on a soft pelt within the special den known as the Pack Healers' Den for She-Wolves. Beside her were other she-wolves who were sick or injured. She thought to herself and chuckled. When she had arrived at the pack healers' place yesterday morning, they wouldn't accept her since they thought she was a male. They had to be informed that she was an intersex wolf who identified as female. She found it amusing. The last time she was confused with a male was when she lived in the Western Pack with her parents many moons ago. She was still Beta. It didn't bother until now. She wondered if maybe she could attend Alpha School next winter and finish her training. Her parents would have wanted that.

A brown she-wolf entered the den. It was her pack healer.

"Hi! You're awake..."

"Yeah," Dani answered feebly.

"How are you feeling?"

"I think I'm good. My mind won't shut up though."

"Is it because of what happened?"

"Yeah..."

"If I may ask, what exactly did happen?"

"I was in Humphrey and Kate's den with Rocky. We were attacked..."

"Rocky? You mean Kate and Humphrey's son?"

"Yes..."

"Ma'am... I'm sorry to inform you but Rocky is dead."

"What?"

"I heard he was charged with murder or something. The North sentenced him to death and executed him a couple of hours ago." Dani stood up. Her face was frozen stiff. She began slowly walking out of the den. "Umm... ma'am? Where are you going? You need to be formally discharged before you leave!" Dani ignored her.

Rocky was her last hope of happiness, the only thing that came close to a family. There was nothing in the world for her anymore. All was lost.

She proceeded to head to a dreadful place. Near Moonlight Howl Rock was a large crack in the Earth, a long opening that could swallow a group of wolves whole. At the bottom was the Dividing River, which was the border between the West and the East. It was known... as Bear Teeth Edge, the only part of the Diving River where it was narrow enough for wolves to be able to jump from one side to the other. But Dani didn't intend on jumping over the river. She was jumping into the crack. Bear Teeth Edge was rarely visited by any wolf, for it was the place where the first recorded suicide happened in the Valley. At the bottom of the crack, where the river flowed, jagged boulders pointed upwards. The first suicide was roughly thirty years ago. That hadn't been another since because of the stigma of suicidal tendencies, but Dani was an intersex wolf. If anyone understood social stigma, it was her. It didn't faze her.

"STOP!" yelled a voice. Dani looked behind herself. A black wolf was there. "Don't do it! Whatever you're going through, I'm sorry..."

"Who are you?"

"That's not important. What's important is getting you away from that edge."

"There's nothing you can do," she sobbed. "I can't be saved." Dani stepped closer to the cliff. The rapids below were tempting her.

"I used to be where you were... Is it that bad?" the black wolf asked. Dani nodded. "Well... I believe in the right to die... so I won't stop you... but... would you at least want to be happy before you go?"

"...I'm listening..."


	19. Chapter 19: Dawn of Humphrey Part 1

Chapter 19: Dawn of Humphrey Part 1 **(written on May 11th, 2020)**

Due to the death of the only heir, the Western Pack was forced to invoke a process not used since the birth of the pack. According to a secret den known as the Western Den of Archives, where all Western laws and legal information was kept, if the current royal bloodline is discontinued by death, fails to produce a legitimate heir, or never existed before, the Western Pack must have an election.

Other male bloodlines now had a chance to become the new royal bloodline. The pack leader position was up for grabs to any Alpha male; however, only a few had a realistic chance to win. Five candidates emerged. Only two had a chance: Humphrey and the leader of the beefy group who tried to force Rocky to become pack leader early. He was also the leader of the anti-Kate clan. Since Kate was associated with Humphrey, the anti-Kate clan was against Humphrey as well. The law allowed a one-hour debate to take place between the five candidates right before the voting started. The two most well-known candidates quickly consumed most of the talking time.

"This wolf used to be an Omega! He stood by Kate's side as she staged a coup! And we're supposed to take him as a serious candidate for the pack's leadership? Give me a break! This little wolf is weak! Perhaps he's a runt!"

"Sorry to disappoint you, Terrence," Humphrey replied, "but brawn will not be enough... on its own... to save you. I admit I'm not the strongest Alpha by any means nor is my past unquestionable, but what I do have is a bold vision, one that will continue for generations to come. All you're interested in, Terrence, is bullying others, making it seem like you're tough when, in fact, you're the most afraid. You're building something hallow that will soon collapse under its own weight. And that's because it was never intended to last. It's only intended for you're reign and you're reign only. I've moved beyond your plans. In fact... I will acquire new territory." The entire crowd gasped.

The Western Pack had never gained more than its original territory. Most packs usually don't. In wolf politics, territory, whether it had any use or not, determined your status as a pack. The acquisition of new territory is seen as aggression. Depending on the circumstance, it may even be a declaration of war to any pack within a hundred miles. It was risky business, but Humphrey hoped it would energize the citizens. He needed to compensate for his weak appearance with bold new ideas. He needed to expose Terrence for the selfish puppy that he was.

"What?! Are you power-hungry?! How could you possibly gain more territory and expect the Easterns or the Northerners to let it slide?" He turned to the wolves watching them. "He means to send us to war!"

"No, Terrence. Perhaps you can't comprehend the intelligence that goes into rigid diplomacy. I will have the East and the North by the balls! There will be no need to send anyone except border patrollers to survey the new lands. Maybe I am power-hungry... but it would only be for the pack's benefit. You mean to sit in the pack leader's den all day and night with countless concubines while the pack rots from the inside 'cause of the lack of leadership! Your ambition is little. Your behavior is that of a petty pup. You're a pup who wants to use the power for your own gain rather than for the pack's!"

"You talk so proudly for someone who's a mate of Kate."

"Hm. Well, it's a good thing I'm not." The crowd gasped again.

When the debate ended, the actual voting process began. The five candidates stood side by side in a clearing. In front of each of them was a deep hole. Each citizen had to deposit a white stone in the hole or candidate of their choice. Only Alphas could vote. The candidate with the most stones wins the election. The process was heavily monitored by Hutch to make sure each voter had one stone.

A line of Alphas formed. One by one they deposited a stone into a hole. To Hutch, it was clear from the beginning who was the most popular, but the candidates themselves were not allowed to look down into their holes and know the count. By dusk, voting ended, and Hutch was tasked with counting every last stone. It took about thirty minutes as he was required to count the totals more than once. Most of the pack's Alphas had gathered at the clearing. They were waiting for the results.

Eventually, Hutch was finished after he placed his own vote. He went in front of the candidates' holes and made the announcement.

"Ike: zero votes. Ulysses: zero votes. Can-do: one vote. Terrence... zero votes." Everybody exchanged glances. Terrence's mouth dropped. Hutch continued. "Humphrey... two hundred and forty-two votes!" The crowd started cheering. Humphrey kept his composure as he stepped forward and walked up to Hutch. Hutch gave him the bone that carried the Pack Leader's Oath. After an election is called, the oath had to be taken immediately afterward. "Please read these aloud, Humphrey."

"I, Humphrey... do solemnly swear... that I will loyally utilize the highest-ranking position of the pack, the pack leadership, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the cooperative territories of the Western Pack."

"Then she-wolves and gentlewolves," said Hutch, "I present to you, the start of a new bloodline, Humphrey, the pack leader of the Western Pack!"

The cheers roared. They started chanting.

"HUMPHREY! HUMPHREY! HUMPHREY! HUMPHREY!"

"She-wolves and gentlewolves, Alphas," he began, "for the past year, we have seen leadership disappear. With all due respect to Winston, his descent into obscurity led to us the gloomy grey period we find ourselves in. Ironically, as a grey wolf, I will slash it to pieces! We are the Westerns! We aren't some pushovers! It's time we grow! The East and the North will have to cope with our newfound presence. We will have new territory! We will fight for more feeding grounds! That stupid treaty Matt and Winston made two years ago... That will end now! They kidnapped one of our own, and we caved in to their demands! No more! And speaking of the wolf who was kidnapped... Kate... Oh, Kate..."

"Lock her up! Lock her up! Lock her up!" they chanted.

"No... Kate... SHE WILL ANSWER TO ME!" The crowd roared again.

"Humphrey," said Hutch quietly. "You're gonna kill Kate...?"

"She'll only wish she was dead."

"Sir... I can't say I support that... I resign my duties as second-in-command!"

"That's fine, Hutch. I was going to get my own second-in-command." The pack leader turned to the crowd and pointed at a she-wolf with reddish fur. "Come hither. You look young. How old are you?"

"Umm, two years, sir!"

"I feel like we've met before."

"We did... at Alpha School. We played together on the obstacle course."

"Oh, right. What was your name again?"

 **Meanwhile...**

Douglas was drinking a pond by himself when he heard strange noises. His ears flickered at the soft sounds of somebody sneaking around. It was a type of sneaking he was familiar with. A Rogue wolf was nearby...

He couldn't run away effectively, for he was disabled. His leg was disfigured. But Douglas knew the training, so he knew the Rogue's weaknesses. He hid behind a tree and made small puppy noises. He let the Rogue wolf come to him. The intruder put himself next to the tree and lowered himself to the grass, ready to pounce. That's when Douglas struck. He went to the side of the tree where the intruder's rear end was and grabbed his tail with his paws. He pulled the Rogue toward him and violently bit into the back of his neck. The intruder yipped and dropped to the ground after Douglas let go. His neck was bleeding out.

"What are you doing here?!" Douglas questioned.

"TRAITOR!" he yelled.

"Answer the question! Give your life some meaning before I end you, Rogue!"

"I'm not a Rogue!"

"What? You have the savagery of one! Who are you then?!"

"I'm a Black Mountain wolf!"

"That's impossible! The Black Mountain Pack died out fifteen years ago!"

"It is reborn! We are Rogues no more! He is coming..."

"Who's coming?!" The intruder started fading away. Douglas slapped his face. "Who?!"

"...He's leading... large-scale assault... soon... War is coming..." The wolf's breathing ceased.

" _Oh, my goodness_ ," Douglas said to himself. He remembered in Banff of Rogues talking about a faction growing in Jasper's mountains. This fanatical group must be the new Black Mountain Pack. The intruder was probably a scout. It seemed the scout knew who Douglas was. And if the scout knew, the group's leader knew, which was bad news for him. As a traitor in the Western Pack, his capture would be beneficial to them. He had knowledge of the high-ranking Alphas of the West among other things. He couldn't let himself be captured under any circumstances. His downfall would mean the end of Jasper.

He had to tell Kate. If the Black Mountain Rogue wolves come, they will slaughter every last Omega in the Valley and enslave the rest.

Jenny's den was not far. As soon as he found it, he went in. Kate seemed relieved to see him.

"Douglas! I've been looking for you!"

"I've been looking for you... Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Yes. Humphrey has just been elected pack leader."

"I know you two don't like each other anymore but is that so bad?"

"Hutch told me that he's coming after me..."

"What?! I won't that happen!" He grabbed her forepaws and massaged them affectionately. He hoped it would soothe her.

"What is it you wanted to tell me?" Douglas gulped in nervousness.

"We'll all in grave danger... I killed a Rogue scout a mile away from here. He told me a group of crazy Rogues—and that's saying a lot—claim to be the successors of the Black Mountain Pack. They are coming to conquer the Valley."

"Oh, my gosh..." She paused before speaking again. "Do you believe it...?"

"I do..."

"You know... because of Humphrey... Jenny and I have been talking about leaving Jasper... You should come with us..."

"But what about the Western Pack?"

"Damn them all," said Kate. "They've become mindless zombies to Humphrey."

"Even the Omegas?" Kate then sighed. She came closer to the black wolf. " _Omegas are important to a pack. If we take them, the Western Pack will collapse. Omegas prevent the Alphas of the pack from attacking each other. They keep the Alphas focused. It's better we leave them to give the Western Pack a fighting chance against the Rogues while me, Jenny, you, and Hutch leave Jasper entirely. None of us have family here, at least not anymore._ "

" _I still don't know how I feel about leaving the Omegas here... We're practically leaving them to die..._ "

" _We couldn't take them even we wanted to. Look, I don't know if you know, but... Humphrey and I... have been out of the country before._ "

" _Like out of Jasper?_ "

" _Out of Canada..._ "

" _Holy shit... Excuse my language._ "

" _I know... But how that happened is a story for another time. What I'm saying is I know some of the lands outside the Valley that most Valley wolves don't. Jenny and I, we think riding a train out of here is the best way to go._ "

" _Riding a train? What's a train?_ " he asked. He tilted his head.

" _It's a human thing. There are these shiny rocks on the ground, smoothest things you'll ever see. They're called train tracks. A gigantic blackish monster comes through the forest with a lot of smoke. It carried behind it a number of train 'cars,' and some of them have openings on the sides. We can jump through the opening, and the train will take us down the line of tracks. It's extremely fast, faster than any wolf by a lot. First time I rode on a train, I thought my eyeballs would explode from the speed. Anyway, the nearest tracks run through Shadow Forest, ten miles from here to the west. I know when the trains come. The next one should come through at midnight._ "

" _That's... awesome! But why can't we take all of the Omegas even we wanted to?_ "

" _There's a tight limit of how many wolves can leave. The train cars tend to be small, and they may be smaller depending on how much human crap is in there. A maximum amount of space could vary from a few wolves to about a dozen._ "

" _Do we have to leave on a train?_ "

" _Yes unless you wanna leave on foot. A group of Omegas with us, in the mountains... We might as well be carrying a sign that says, 'Kill us'!_ "

" _I see... Oh, gosh... I will warn all of the Omegas then before we go. I went them at least prepared for the impending attack._ "

"Okay. Go do that." Douglas readied himself to leave, but Kate stopped him. "Wait!" She went and kissed him. "Thank you for putting up with me... Meet me at Shadow Forest when you're done."

"I will be quick," he replied. He then left the den, speed walking on his mishappen leg.

"Mom," said Jenny. She had been listening to their whole conversation. "There is one wolf I want to come with us, an old friend."

"Who?"

"Her name is Dani. She doesn't have any family either. I don't know exactly where she is, but I can find her quickly."

"Okay. That's the only one right?"

"Just her."

"Meet me at Shadow Forest when you're done."

"Okay, Mom." Jenny left after giving her mother a brief hug.

 **Later...**

Kate found her way to the center of Shadow Forest. Along with her was Hutch. She had already briefed Hutch of their plan. There was an unoccupied den, and both of them decided to rest in it. They needed to wait for Douglas, Jenny, and Dani to come. The train would arrive in an hour.

Suddenly, there were footsteps. The two Alphas came out and saw Douglas.

"Have you seen my daughter?" asked Kate. Douglas shook his head.

"Damn it. She needs to hurry up... We're losing time."

"Who are the other wolves?" asked Douglas.

"What other wolves?" said Hutch.

"In that den over there." Douglas gestured to another den that was twenty yards away. It was almost hidden in the foliage.

"There are wolves in there?" said Hutch. "I didn't know anybody lived in Shadow Forest."

"Neither did I," Kate added. "I wonder why we didn't smell them."

"It's probably a deep cave," said Douglas.

The three wolves went to the other den. Douglas was right. The den had multiple chambers. In one of them, they came across two wolves lying together.

"Oh, shit! Sorry!" said Kate.

"What the heck!" said the grey female. "You're just gonna waltz into our den?!"

"Sorry! Sorry!"

"We didn't know anybody lived here," said Hutch.

"My goodness, how many wolves are gonna come to this damn forest?!" said the male covered in scars.

"Wait a minute... You're Shadow and Sasha!" Kate exclaimed.

"How do you know us?"

"You saved my son from those stupid Alphas."

"You're Rocky's mother?"

"Yes..." She looked down.

"Is something wrong?" said Sasha.

"My son is dead..." Shadow and Sasha glanced at each other.

"I'm sorry," said Shadow. "Is that why we've come? To tell us that?"

"No."

"Then why did you waltz into our den?" Sasha questioned.

"Relax, Sasha," said Shadow. "But seriously why have you come?"

"Should we tell them?" Douglas asked. "I don't think they're one of Humphrey's zombies."

"Who's Humphrey?" asked Shadow.

"I think he's an Omega," said Sasha. "My sister, Liona, told me about him."

"He's not an Omega anymore," Kate replied. "He's the pack leader of this territory... and he's coming after me."

"And there are Rogues coming after all of us. The entire Valley will be overrun," Douglas added.

"You know that train that comes through here?" said Kate. They both nodded. "After my daughter comes here, we're getting on it... and never coming back."

"Shit! Is it that bad?!" Shadow asked.

"Oh, yeah... That bad," the disabled wolf answered.

"Can we come? We don't wanna die!"

"Only if there's enough space," said Kate. "I'm sorry."

"There will be enough space!" Shadow assured.

"Wait!" Sasha said to him. "I have family! What about them?!"

"You go with Rocky's mother then! I'll find your family and bring them out of Jasper on foot!"

"That's very risky," Douglas informed. "I can see you have an injured paw. It will be a slow walk through Rogue-infected lands. Rogues are experts at exploiting weaknesses."

"I can cope with it. How much time do we have until this attack?"

"No telling," said Douglas.

"I'll talk to her family about it, and we will weigh the risks. I just don't want Sasha in danger."

"I... I love you," said Sasha, shaking with fear. Shadow nuzzled her cheek.

"I love you too..."

"Promise me that you'll come back to me! Promise me!" she sobbed.

"I will come... but only with your family..." He turned to the three others. "Where are you guys going?"

"That's a good question," said Hutch. "Where are we going?" All eyes were on Kate, for she was the only one who knew.

"It's another park, but it's not Banff, a place only me and Humphrey know. I'll tell you how to find it on foot, Shadow." Kate remembered what the duck had said to her. She said the words from her memory aloud. "'Sawtooth National Wilderness'."


	20. Chapter 20: Dawn of Humphrey Part 2

Chapter 20: Dawn of Humphrey Part 2 **(written on May 12th, 2020)**

 **Midnight...**

" _Where is she?_ " Jenny whispered to herself.

She looked through Shadow Forest. She looked through Moonlight Howl Rock. She looked through the Ceremonial Valley, the Western feeding grounds, and some of the training grounds. She looked in Dani's old den. She looked in her parent's old den. She looked in the pack leader's den. All were devoid of wolves. She was now looking through the slopes of Mt. Victory where a pawful of wolves was, but they were mostly Omegas. Where could one Beta go?

Dani was her oldest friend. In fact, Dani was the reason Jenny became an Omega. Originally, Jenny was supposed to be an Alpha, and she even spent some time in Alpha School which was where she first met Dani. But after Dani left with their fervent classmate, Briana, to form their own pack, Jenny realized that a life without stress was what she wanted. When Dani left with Rocky and Briana, it tore her apart. She had no hard feelings for Dani, for she believed the intersex wolf had a right to control her own destiny, but she was upset that her only friend was gone. Despite how much they played together, Rocky and Jenny weren't particularly close. Dani was different. She was special. She didn't want to leave Dani behind. She didn't want to revisit the pain she went through when Dani left the Western Pack. Not again. Dani couldn't be lost. She wouldn't accept it.

One of the slopes had a large group of dens. The area was known as the Western Den Grounds. Most of the population of the Western Pack lived there. It was the last place she decided to look before she had to leave. She was already late. The train could come at any minute, assuming it hasn't come already.

She walked on the passageways between the dens that were set up in rows. She scanned left and right for every row she passed, hoping for a sign. Miraculously, she found one. In one row of dens, she heard someone bawling. It definitely wasn't Dani, but she was desperate to quickly investigate anything out of the ordinary. She went down the row and to the specific den where she saw a black wolf crying. It was Jasmine, the current Prime Omega.

Jenny knew Jasmine from Omega School. Four days ago, when she finally graduated from Omega School, Jasmine hosted a graduation celebration where a lot of Omegas competed against each other in logsledding. Jenny had placed last, and Jasmine had consoled her. Now it seemed she had to console Jasmine.

"Hey? Are you alright?"

"No!" she sobbed. "I couldn't save her!"

"Save who?"

"I don't know who she was... I just met her... or him... I don't know what she was... It was weird..."

"Wait... Did she have a baculum?"

"You know her?" Jasmine replied.

"She's my friend! Where is she?!"

"Gone... reduced to a spirit that now haunts me..."

"Gone? What do you mean gone?!"

"DON'T YOU HEAR HEAR WHAT I'M SAYIN', YOU BITCH! SHE'S GONE, LOST, PASSED AWAY, RESTING IN PEACE, TOOK HER LAST BREATH, SLEEPING WITH THE FISHES, TAKING A DIRT NAP, WENT TO A BETTER PLACE, SIX-FEET UNDER, IMMORTALITY-CHALLENGED!"

Jenny had gone outside and thrown up. The stress made her shiver. " _She took her own life at Bear Teeth Edge_ ," Jasmine added. Jenny thought about biting her elbows again. It was hard to resist.

" _Was there a frown on her... body...?_ "

" _No_ ," the black wolf replied. " _Fortunately, she was happy... because of me... She wanted pleasure... sexual pleasure... so I gave her that... but I couldn't stop what eventually happened... I was_ —"

"Shhh!" Jenny shushed her.

"What the fuck, Jenny?!"

" _Shush!_ _I hear something!_ "

" _What is it?_ "

" _The attack... Come! Come with me if you want to live!_ "

Jasmine came outside. She sniffed the air and pointed to the left. A black male wolf was prowling. Then ten black wolves appeared, snarling at them! "Run!" yelled Jenny. The two she-wolves ran down the mountainside. The group of black wolves pursued them. They had a fluid formation, but Jenny and Jasmine knew the terrain. The Western wolves jumped over countless fissures and jagged rocks as the intruders struggled to find a safe way down. The rough terrain would buy them some time, but once they reached the flatter side of the Western Pack, they needed to really sprint.

"They have our scent! We can't stop!"

"Who are they?!" asked Jasmine.

"Rogues... They hunt Omegas! But these guys are crazier!"

"What do we do?!"

"My family is waiting for me to join them, so we can leave on a train!"

"What about the pack?!"

"Do you wanna die?!" Jenny replied.

"...Where is your family?"

"At Shadow Forest."

The she-wolves sprinted as fast as they could across the Western flatlands. They could smell the posse. They were ahead of them by half a mile. Surprisingly, the Rogues could not close the distance, but the two she-wolves didn't want to slow and take any chances.

They made it to Shadow Forest where Kate, Douglas, Hutch, and Sasha were. They could see the two she-wolves panicking.

"There you are, Jenny!" said Kate. "I was getting so worried! The train is coming now!" The dark cloud was in the distance. A bright light, brighter than the moon, shined between the trees, and it continued to intensify.

"Mom! We need to leave now! There are Rogues closing in on this location!"

"Look!" said Douglas. The whole group gasped. They could see the Rogues coming from the east. "Let's go! We need to move!"

The group rushed to the train tracks. By the time they made it, the train was going through. Each car whizzed past them. Suddenly, an open car went past, and the wolves began running parallel to the tracks. Eventually, they caught up to the opening.

"Jump!" Kate screamed. Jenny hopped in, followed by Kate herself then Jasmine, Hutch, and Sasha. "Where's Douglas?!" The wolves looked out of the train car.

"Look! Down there!" said Hutch.

Douglas was still running parallel to the tracks. He was in clear agony as he tried his best to run on his lame leg. Right behind him were the Black Mountain wolves! They were gaining on him quickly.

"Jump! We'll catch you!" said Kate. Douglas then leaped. Kate caught one of his paws, but she couldn't lift him up. At that very moment, a couple of the Rogues caught Douglas's lame leg and they pulled in the opposite direction.

"AHHH! You sons of bitches! My fucking leg!" Sasha looked around inside the car. There was a box in one of the corners that was strapped with long strips of plastic. She grabbed one of the strips with her mouth and dragged the box to the opening. She then pushed it out, and it crashed right into the Rogue wolves. The box hit them right in the face, causing all of them to lose their footing. Some wolves crashed into others behind them and the entire posse tumbled and fell apart. One wolf was unfortunate enough to fall into a space between the cars where he got ran over by the wheels and split in half on the tracks.

Suddenly, the train took a sharp left turn which caused the wolves inside the car to lose their footing. Kate fell to her knees, Sasha smashed into boxes, and Jasmine slipped out the opening on the other side of the car, but Jenny was able to catch her and pull her back in. Kate gave a sigh of relief as she got back up. The Rogues were out of sight now.

"Whew!"

"What happened to your eye?" said Douglas as he dangled from the car. "I can't believe I never saw that."

"It's nothing," she replied. "I can still see you."

"Watch out!" yelled Sasha. A metal sign struck the back of Kate's head. Douglas tumbled violently on the ground after the tan she-wolf lost her grip.

"No! NOOOOO!" Jenny yelled. Her mother dropped to the floor and passed out. "Mom!" She shook her body, but she was unresponsive. "Mom! No! I love you! Don't go!" Jasmine checked for a pulse.

"It's waning!" she informed. Jenny nuzzled her chest.

"No... Mom... No!" she sobbed. Kate then awoke, coughing and convulsing. Jenny gasped. "Mom!"

"...Huh? Where am I? Who... who are you...?"

"It's me, Mom... your daughter, Jenny."

"Wha...? I have a daughter?" Jenny tilted her head.

"Well... Well, of course, you do! Heh, heh! You're funny!"

"I am? Ohh..." Kate slowly looked around as she lay on her back. She pointed at Hutch. "Is that my brother?"

"Brother? No," Jenny replied.

"Oh... What's my name?"

"You're name?" Hutch then came at a realization.

"Oh, no..."

"Oh, no, what?" said Jenny. Hutch came closer to Kate.

"Kate, who is the current pack leader of the Western Pack?" he asked her.

"What's a pack leader?" she answered. Jenny realized it too.

"Oh, no..."

 **Meanwhile...**

Douglas couldn't stand up. His lame leg was made broken again. There were a number of bruises and gashes all over his body. The Black Mountain wolves came and surrounded him with their teeth bared.

"Well, well, well, so this is Douglas," said the leader. "How does it feel to be a traitor?! Your parents are a disgrace!"

"Just get it over with. I don't have all day," Douglas replied.

"We aren't gonna kill you! That would be too easy... No... our supreme leader would like to have a word with you. He'll crack open that little brain of yours and find every speck of information that he wants, including... where your little friends are headed."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You can't fool us! Our supreme leader always gets what he wants! Even if he has to rape it out of you!"

"King won't like what you guys are doing... His jealousy will roll over your territory like waves over a beach."

"King and his delusions will die! We are the new wolves in charge! We're doing what he fails to do. Every shred of the Omegas' existence will be expunged from this Earth! They will feel the wrath of the new and improved BLACK MOUNTAIN EMPIRE!"

 **Meanwhile...**

Humphrey entered Den 23. There, Alabaan remained on the floor, his legs bound by caribou tendons.

"Sorry. I didn't know you would be in here."

"As long as you're not one of those visitors who come to pee on my face, we good," Alabaan replied. "What brings you here then?"

"This place is umm... significant... to me personally."

"Ohh..." Humphrey walked up to one of the walls and admired the minuscule details.

"When I conquer the North, I will take this den. I figure the best way to get rid of a bad memory is to desensitize it."

"Fighting fire with fire?"

"Yeah..."

"Not bad," Alabaan replied. "That's what I do all the time to my bad memories. I add my unique spin to it, of course."

"This den... Not only will I take it. It will one day be my new home!" Humphrey declared.

"Huh... You should know then that, in the spring, little mice come in here to take your food. It's pretty annoying."

"How do you keep food in here if you're all tied up?

"I'm not keeping food in here. No one does. I don't get fed." Humphrey came to Alabaan's side and tilted his head.

"I don't understand."

"I was talking about long before I got tied up. I used to live here briefly."

"What...? When... ... ...?"

"Ummm... a year ago... give or ta—"

Humphrey grabbed Alabaan's throat and squeezed hard. The light grey wolf was choking. Humphrey breathed heavily. Each breath was as heavy as a gust. "Wat da fack?!" he managed to say. Saliva and snot were being squeezed out of his muzzle. His head was being pushed into the floor. The anger gave Humphrey a serious headache.

"IT WAS YOUUUU!" yelled Humphrey. "YOU RUINED MY LIFEEEEEEE!" Alabaan could not reply. "YOU... KILLED ME... YOU... YOU..." Humphrey could hardly formulate his sentences. He lessened his grip a little bit, so Alabaan could speak.

"What did I do...?"

"HOW DID YOU DO IT?! TELL ME BEFORE I TORTURE THE FUCK OUTTA' YOU!" he demanded. "A YEAR AGO... THE TAN SHE-WOLF FROM THE WESTERN PACK! TELL ME!"

"Ohh... well... I saw her... alone... inside a den... There she was... looking pretty in her sleep... You guys came to... where I was living... The training grounds... It was you guys' first day there... I guess you guys were training to be Alphas or some shit... I snooped around... I saw her on you guys' first night... I put some berries in her mouth and waited... After a few minutes... I did what I did... then left... That simple..."

Humphrey remembered the morning after that night. He walked into her assigned den where she lay peacefully on the floor.

"Wake up, Kate," he had said. "It's morning." Her eyes fluttered open, and she got up with a groan.

"Why didn't my dad wake us up?" she asked.

"Maybe we just didn't hear the howl," Humphrey suggested.

"No, he would've known that we were missing and would've come to wake us."

"Maybe he's letting us sleep for a while."

"We'll see if we're the odd ones out. Let's go see what's happening." They walked down the path to the lower levels of the slope. Humphrey noticed snoring coming out of some of the dens.

"Looks like Winston let everyone sleep late."

"Let's go see if he is in his den," Kate suggested. They continued on until they came to the third level. "Dad!" Kate had called out. "Where are you?"

"Over here," they heard coming out of his den. They came in and sat down.

"Didn't you say that you would wake us up early, sir?" Humphrey asked, confused.

"Yes, I did, but I decided to go easy on everybody since they had a long trip," he answered. "As far as I'm concerned, they are still pups."

"Where are Hutch and Samuel?" Kate had asked.

"They went to get breakfast, but I don't know that we'll be able to eat up a whole caribou this early in one sitting."

"You'll be surprised, sir," said Humphrey

"I bet I will and drop the 'sir' thing, Humphrey. I'm going to be your father-in-law soon, so call me Dad."

"Yes, s... I mean Dad... Sorry, it's just I haven't said that in a long time. You know..."

"Yes, I know about your parents... Anyway, I decided there won't be any lessons today, so everyone can go explore, provided that they are in groups of two or more. By chance you two have any plans for today, now would be your time to commence them."

"We don't have any plans, but I think we can go exploring. Don't you agree, Humphrey?" said Kate.

"I do indeed, my sweet." The couple turned around and started walking out of the den after saying their goodbyes.

"Where should we go first?" Humphrey asked.

"Let's just walk and see where the path leads."

"Sure."

They fell quiet. Only the sounds of crunching leaves on the path could be heard. Eventually, they arrived in a clearing with some logs arranged into a particular order.

"So this is the obstacle course?" said Humphrey

"Yep, that's it."

"Why don't I practice on it so that I can have an advantage tomorrow or whatever day I'm doing the course?"

"Sure," she answered. "As long as we don't get caught doing it. I'll go first. You follow." She got ready to commence the course, but before Kate began her run, she stopped and held her stomach in pain.

"Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," Kate answered. "No, I'm fine. I... I think I just had a rough sleep."

Humphrey remembered that morning when Kate seemed in pain. He never realized how significant it was until now. It was horrific to think about. From that night, Alabaan changed the course of history and ruined his life. Kate would have never left him if they had the pups they were supposed to have...

ALABAAN HAD TO PAY!

Humphrey took his claw and sliced open Alabaan's chest with one swoop. Alabaan screamed and screamed.

"AHH! FUCK! FUCK! FUCKKKKK! YES, IT WAS ME! I DID IT! I RAPED YOUR PRECIOUS BITCH!"

"I let you speak too much!" said Humphrey. "NOW DIE!" Humphrey pushed his paw directly into Alabaan's chest. He could feel the weak beating heart. Every beat made Humphrey angrier. Each beat meant that this vile wolf was being unfairly supplied by his blood. Each beat meant Humphrey's entire universe was out of whack. Each beat was an insult to everything good and just in the world. Every cell of him had to be annihilated.

In contrast to Humphrey, Alabaan... was smiling. He was laughing! He was laughing as though he was surrounded by a plethora of pleasures! He enjoyed dying! "YOU SHOULD NOT BE LAUGHING! THIS IS YOUR END!"

"PLEASE! YES! YESSS! I'VE FOUND IT!"

"FOUND WHAT?!"

"PEACE!"

"WHAT?!"

"You silly dog! I have found... what I've been looking for! My entire life, I've searched for it! I've been on a quest! And I have found my proper destination! It was death all along! Thank you, wolf! THANK YOU! HA, HA!"

"AHHH!" Humphrey screamed. With both of his paws, he crushed Alabaan's heart to smithereens. Blood exploded out of his chest, getting all over Humphrey's face. Alabaan was very quickly losing consciousness, but he wanted to tell something to Humphrey before he went dark.

"My good old dad... He tortured me, you know that...? Made me who I am... You wanna know who he is...? Rocky's grandfather...? Look no further... than Den 1..." Humphrey gasped. "He's the reason your son was executed... and I wasn't... despite my record... My dad doesn't have the balls to kill his own son! Go! Now you Kill him for me! TELL DADDY I'LL SEE HIM IN HELL! Ugh... ehh... ahh..." Alabaan stopped breathing. His head dropped. His long tongue dangled from the side of his mouth. It was over... Alabaan was dead... The rapist was dead...

Humphrey's breathing increased dramatically until he screamed with all of his might.

"MATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!"

 **Later...**

An hour after Humphrey left, a she-wolf entered the den and saw the bloody mess before her. She let out a sigh. Her fur was pure white. She didn't want red marks all over her fur. It would look ugly. But if she had to cope with it, she would. The supreme leader doesn't take kindly to failures. She had a job to do.

There he was... the Drifter... She was sent to kill him, but he was already dead. That was evident. His heart—or what was left of it—lay on the floor in a red soup. She figured she might as well take the body. The supreme leader would like to have proof of his death. She cut the tendon straps and put the corpse on her back. That's when she saw the bloody pawprints leading outside. Metrialyn recognized them.

"Humphrey..."

* * *

 **The End**

* * *

 **...Humphrey and Kate will return for the final installment, Desires 3, coming in 2021...**


	21. Credits

Special **Thanks:**

* * *

bikerboy **(reviewer)**

imjustlikehumphrey **(reviewer)**

The Return of the Enclave **(reviewer)**

Itsmario123 _**a.k.a.**_ ThatGuyNamedGuy **(creator of _Jack_ and _June_ )**

xXShadowTheWolfXx **(creator of _Shadow_ and _Sasha_ )**

TimberPaw **(creator of _Liona_ )**

Mike The Red Engine **(creator of _Douglas_ )**

* * *

 **Desires 2 Passage of Time:**

Day 1 - chapter 1-5 **(3/12/2012)**

Day 8 - chapter 6-7 **(3/19/2012)**

Day 9 - chapter 7-9

Day 10 - chapter 10-12

Day 11 - chapter 13-14

Day 12 - chapter 14-17

Day 13 - chapter 18-19

Day 14 - chapter 20 **(3/25/2012)**

* * *

 **While I have a basic plan for the story of Desires 3, I am open for anyone to submit their own ideas. Please, share your story ideas if you have any. There's a chance I may incorporate them. No ideas are bad.**


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